land-lubber's wheel on any boat I built. So don't forget, Bet, your
boat shifts opposite to the way you turn the wheel."

"I'll remember, Uncle."

With dancing eyes and flushed faces, the girls sat in the cockpit
back, or "aft," of the trunk cabin, and watched Betty steer. She did
very well, for she had had some practice in a small motor boat the
girls occasionally hired.

"Oh, I couldn't have had anything in the world I wanted more than
this!" she cried to her uncle. "It is just great!"

"And you think you girls will go for a cruise?"

"I am sure we will, and as soon as we can. It will be the very thing
for the hot summer."

"Wouldn't Will just love this?" sighed Grace.

"Perhaps Betty will invite him and Allen Washburn and Percy Falconer
to come along on a trip or two," said Mollie, with a wink at her chums
as she mentioned Percy's name. The latter was a foppish young man
about town, who tried to be friendly with Betty; but she would have
none of him.

"Never Percy!" she declared. "I'll ask Will, of course, and Frank
Haley, but---- "

"Not Allen?" inquired Amy, mischievously, for it was no great secret