"But unintentionally—unintentionally! I hope you believe that!" said Mr. Stone earnestly.
"Oh—yes—of course," and Grace's voice was not quite so cold now. She could readily understand that the accident could have happened in just that way, and it was beginning to look so. Certainly, not knowing the girls, the young man could have no object in deceiving them.
"A little child knocked down, you say!" exclaimed Mr. Kennedy. "I hope it was not badly hurt. Who was it?"
"My" began Mollie, and she way om the point of saying it was her sister Dodo, when from the lake there sounded the cry of:
"Fire! Fire! Fire!"
Then came a sharp explosion. Everyone arose, and Mr. Kennedy exclaimed excitedly:
"That must be an explosion on a motor boat. Come on, Harry. We may be needed!"
They rushed through the bushes toward the place whence the alarm came, the girls following as fast as they could.
"Don't let him know it was I, or that it was your sister who was hurt!" Grace cautioned her chums. "I am going to write to papa, and he can make an investigation. Their explanation
