"Well," said Mollie as they climbed on to the dock, "we surely did have
some excitement, but we didn't get what we started out for after all."

"What's that?" asked Grace, as she tied the ribbon round her candy box and
adjusted her hat at a more becoming angle.

"Ice-cream and a drink of ice water," said Mollie ruefully. "I've just
remembered that I am dying of thirst."

"Come on around to my house," Betty invited. Her wrist was lame from
gripping the wheel so hard and she felt it gingerly. "Mother said she
would make a big pitcher of lemonade for us and leave it in the
refrigerator."

"Whew," whistled Mollie, taking Betty's arm and hurrying her forward. "By
any chance did you girls hear what I heard? Me for it, Betty
Nelson."

The girls talked little on their way to Betty's house, but they thought a
good deal. They were tired and disgruntled, and it seemed to them in their
pessimistic mood that everything they had tried to do that day had gone
wrong. And the climax of it all was their meeting--if it could be called a
meeting--with Percy Falconer. Worst of all, Betty was going to allow him
to call!

With something of this in her mind, Mollie glanced sideways at her chum
and, curiosity getting the better of her discretion, ventured to remark
upon it.