“I dot it!” cried the tot, as the level of his glass began to fall under his efforts—successful this time. Then, having finished that, he fixed his big eyes on Mr. Lagg, and demanded: “Oo dot any tandy?” “Candy!” cried the eccentric store keeper. “Ha, I have a couplet about that. “If you would feel both fine and dandy, Just buy a pound of Lagg’s best candy!” “That is irresistible!” exclaimed Will. “Trot out a pound of the most select.” “With pleasure,” said Mr. Lagg. Merrily the young people wandered about the store, the girls buying some notions and trinkets they thought they would need on the trip, for Mr. Lagg did a general business. “What are all you folks doing around here?” asked the storekeeper, when he had waited on some other customers. “Getting in practice for a cruise,” answered Mollie. “Betty, here, is the proud possessor of a lovely motor boat, and we are going to Rainbow Lake soon.” “And camp on an island, too,” added Amy. “I know I shall love that.” “Any particular island?” asked Mr. Lagg. “Elm is a nice one,” remarked Will “Why don’t you girls try that? It isn’t as far as Triangle, and it’s nearly as large. It’s wilder and prettier, too.” “Know anything about Elm Island, Mr. Lagg?” asked Frank, as he inspected some fishing tackle. “Well, yes, I might say I do,” and Mr. Lagg pursed up his lips. “Is it a good place?” “Oh, it’s good all right, but——” and he hesitated. “What is the matter?” demanded Betty quickly. She thought she detected something strange in Mr. Lagg’s manner. “Why, the only thing about it is that it’s haunted—there’s a ghost there,” and as he spoke the storekeeper slipped a generous slice of cheese on a cracker and munched it. CHAPTER IX OFF ON THE TRIP The girls stared blankly at one another. The boys frankly winked at each other, clearly unbelieving. “Haunted?” Betty finally gasped. “A ghost?” echoed Amy, falteringly. “What—what kind?” Grace stammered. “Why, the usual kind, of course,” declared Will. “A ghosty ghost, to be sure. White, with long waving arms, and clanking chains, and all the accessories.” “Stop it!” commanded his sister. “You’ll scare Paul,” for the child was looking at Will strangely. “Oh, it’s white all right,” put in Mr. Lagg, “and some of the fishermen around here did say they heard clanking chains, but I don’t take much stock in them. Tell me,” he demanded, helping himself to another slice of cheese, “tell me why would anything as light as a ghost—for they’re always supposed to float like an airship, you know—tell me why should they want to burden themselves with a lot of clanking chains—especially when a ghost is so thin that the chains would fall right through ’em, anyhow. I don’t take no stock in that!” “But what is this story?” asked Betty. “If we are thinking of camping on Elm Island, we do not want to be annoyed by some one playing pranks; do we, girls?” “I should say not!” chorused the three.