chaperon's first remark as she joined the excited party.

Madge compressed her red lips. Miss Jones was so provoking. She was
utterly without tact. But now that she was to be one of the party it
would be wrong to say a single impolite thing to their chaperon the
whole six weeks of their holiday, no matter how provoking or tactless
she might he. Madge sighed impatiently, then turned to the teacher.

"No, I am not mistaken, Miss Jones. I can't be. You see, I came to
this very spot this morning and went aboard our boat. Then I have the
man's description of the landing place. I think we had better go back
to the village and see if we can get some men who know the shore along
here to come to help us look out for our boat. There is no use in
having our furniture brought here if we haven't any houseboat,"
finished Madge, her voice trembling.

"Come along, then; I will go back with you," volunteered Phil. "Miss
Jones, you sit under the tree. Lillian, you and Nellie keep a sharp
look-out. If any one comes along in a boat, ask him about ours."

"Do you think our boat has gone forever, Phil?" asked Madge dejectedly
as the two companions walked wearily back over the road they had
traveled so gayly a short time before.

"I don't know," replied Phil. "I should say it depended entirely upon
who had taken the trouble to spirit it away."

While the two girls stood gazing moodily out over the bay a hard, green
apple landed with a thump on top of Madge's uncovered head. Madge and
Phil looked up simultaneously. There in a gnarled old apple tree