"Not Allen?" inquired Amy, mischievously, for it was no great secret that Betty really liked Allen, a young law student, and that he was rather attentive to her.
"Which way shall I steer to pass that boat, Uncle?" asked Betty, to change a subject that was getting too personal.
"Port," he answered briefly.
"And that is" she hesitated.
"The left," he answered quickly. "It's easy if you think that the letter L comes before the letter P and that L is the beginning of left Port means left, always."
"I'm sure it's easy to say left and right," commented Grace, who was eating a chocolate.
"Hum!" exclaimed the old captain, disapprovingly.
The Gem proved worthy of her name. The girls made a little trip about the river, and then Captain Marlin, on learning that there was a boat house and dock on the property of Mollie's mother, steered the craft there, where it would be tied up until the girls started on their cruise.
And that they would cruise was fully decided on in the next few days. Now that the great surprise was known, plans were made to spend some time on the lake and river in the new craft.
The wonder and delight of it grew. Each day
