"You needn't worry," answered Cora. "I'm cured. I'll stick to the rest of you now closer than your shadows."

"By the way," remarked Walter, as he pa.s.sed his plate, "we met an old friend of yours on our way back from the mill this morning."

"Who was that?" asked Cora with interest.

"Give you three guesses," teased Paul.

She ventured several names and then gave it up.

"It was that dark-skinned gypsy who interfered the other morning, when you girls were going to have your fortunes told," said Walter.

Cora was all interest in an instant.

"And did you see the girl?" she asked eagerly.

"She wasn't along," replied Paul. "The man was all by his lonesome."

"A regular brigand he was, too," commented Walter. "I'd hate to meet him at night in a dark alley."

"We tried to talk to him," explained Paul, "but he shut up like a clam.

Pretended he couldn't understand."

"The rest of the gypsies can't be far off," observed Belle.

"Wouldn't it be fine if they camped somewhere in this neighborhood?" said Bess.

"I wish they would," replied Cora. "I'm crazy to have another talk with that gypsy girl."

"I'm afraid Joel doesn't share your sentiments," laughed Walter. "To speak of gypsy to him is like waving a red rag at a bull."

"They're not very likely to settle down here," declared Jack. "They usually pitch their tents somewhere in the vicinity of a town, so that they can have plenty of visitors. The nearest place to this spot they'd be likely to fix on is Wilton. That's quite a good-sized town, and there's a big summer hotel there. But that's as much as four miles away."

"What's distance to us as long as we have the cars?" said Cora. "For that matter, it wouldn't be too far to walk. I wish you boys would keep your eyes and ears open and let us know if you find out anything about them."

They promised readily, but several days pa.s.sed without any sc.r.a.p of news from the wandering tribe.

One other bit of news, however, gave them unqualified pleasure. They learned from a paper that Jack secured on a trip to a neighboring town that Miss Moore had safely landed at Governor's Island and had broken all records for a cross-country flight.

"Oh, I'm so glad!" exclaimed Cora, clapping her hands. "I've been worrying ever since that morning for fear I'd caused her to lose, and I know how much her mind was set on winning."

And forthwith she dispatched a telegram, care of the Aero Club, that read:

"Your grateful pa.s.senger sends warmest love and congratulations."

And it may well be guessed that few of the messages that overwhelmed Miss Moore on the completion of her wonderful feat brought her more real satisfaction than this.

"I'm pining away for a trip on the lake," announced Belle, one beautiful morning a few days later.

"Let's picnic up at the farther end of the lake," said Cora. "I noticed the loveliest spot for an outing the last time we were up there."

"Your wish is our command," said Jack with exaggerated courtesy. "I'd have suggested it before, if I hadn't thought you girls might feel a wee bit nervous about the _Water Sprite_ after the narrow escape we had last time. But we've spent a good deal of time in fixing her up since then, and now she's perfectly safe."

"We're not a bit afraid," was the unanimous verdict of the girls.

"And let's get a few fish on the way," said Walter. "There's nothing that tastes better than a fish fry under the trees. And I know a way of broiling them on oak twigs that will make you think you're eating ambrosia. I'll be chef and Jack and Paul can clean the fish."

"Such a chance!" exclaimed Paul. "You'll do your share of the cleaning, and don't you forget it!"

"You'd better catch the fish before you fall to sc.r.a.pping over them,"

remarked Cora.

"You boys go ahead and get your bait," commanded Belle, "while we get on our boating suits."

"We fellows seem to be unanimously elected to do all the work," remarked Jack. "I suppose you girls will want us to put the worms on the hooks for you, too."

"Likely enough," admitted Bess.

"Worms, little boys?" sniffed Belle.

"Bent pins, too, for hooks," suggested Cora.

"Worms make a perfectly satisfactory bait, and don't you forget it!"

declared Walter.

"Bet the fish swallow those worms so greedily our arms will ache pulling them in so fast," added Jack.

While the boys prepared the fishing tackle and dug the bait, Aunt Betty saw to it that an ample lunch was prepared, and by the time the girls came down, dressed for the trip, everything was in readiness.

They made their way down to the sh.o.r.e of the lake, and a cry of surprise and delight broke from the lips of the girls when they caught sight of the motor boat.

For it was a new, a rejuvenated, _Water Sprite_ that met their eyes. She had been dowdy and disreputable when she had taken them out on the first trip. But the boys had made several surrept.i.tious trips to the nearest town, and had come back laden with sundry cans of paint and varnish.

They had worked like troopers, painting the boat from stem to stern, varnishing the deck and the interior of the cabin, and cleaning every bit of the bra.s.s work until it shone like gold.

The _Water Sprite_ was a perfect picture now, as she floated gracefully at the end of the little pier, her ivory white coat of paint contrasting beautifully with the rich brown of the deck tints and her name showing in gold letters on her stern.

"Isn't she a darling?" exclaimed Bess ecstatically.

"She's a dream!" a.s.severated Belle.

"So that's what you boys have been up to on these mysterious trips of yours, is it?" asked Cora, shaking her finger at them.

"Caught with the goods," grinned Jack.

"Guilty, with extenuating circ.u.mstances," admitted Walter.

"We throw ourselves on the mercy of the court," laughed Paul.