"Betty, let me see you some time. How about to-morrow night?"

And because Betty was always kind to every one and was sorry for Mollie's
flippant speech, she said, quite unexpectedly, even to herself, "All
right."

Then she turned the Gem around and started for home, conscious that
her chums were gazing at her in speechless amazement.

"Betty!" cried Grace, horrified. "You are never going to let Percy
Falconer come to see you, are you?"

But Betty turned on her irritably. She was tired and nervous and angry at
herself for having anything to do with that conceited dude, Percy
Falconer.

"You heard me say he could come, didn't you?" she said in response to
Grace's incredulous question, Amy's wide-eyed stare, and Mollie's grin.
"And if you are going to ask me why I said so," she added desperately,
"I'm not going to tell you. And if anybody speaks to me before I get back
to the dock, I'll--wreck 'em, that's all."

The girls exchanged glances and wisely decided to change the subject, for
the present at least. For the time they had plenty to do anyway, just
watching out that somebody else did not run into them!

By the time they reached comparatively clear water they were all tired and
they were glad for once when the Gem scraped against the home dock
and the "cruise" was over.