on my lungs this minute, Mollie Billette, I'll-- I'll-- stick this pin
into you."

With a yell Mollie stumbled to her feet and shook out her dress
belligerently.

"You had better not. I'm stronger than you, Grace Ford, and I've a
good mind to let you see what the bottom of the river looks like."

She advanced toward her prospective victim, and Betty stopped laughing
long enough to call to her.

"You'd better change your mind, Mollie," she cautioned merrily. "You
can't give Gracie a ducking without ruining her dress and she might
charge you damages. Reconsider-- I beg of you, reconsider!"

Mollie condescended to reconsider and plumped herself down
cross-legged on the deck, disdaining a chair.

"Oh, very well," she said, adding as she glared darkly at Grace: "You
will probably never know, woman, how near to death you were."

To which Grace replied with unexpected ferocity.

"And you may never know, woman, just how near to death you are this
minute. Look at what you have done to my best sport skirt. I don't
believe I will ever be able to get those wrinkles out."

"If you two will stop quarreling just long enough to tell me where you
want to go," Betty requested, "I should be very much obliged. Up or