"But he was nice about it," added Ruth.
"Yes, after I gave him a quarter," explained Helen.
"Oh, you dear! Did you really tip him?" asked Madge.
"Certainly—he—er—well, he seemed to expect it," and the boys laughed at her naive explanation.
"Won't you come in?" invited Madge. "It isn't much of a cottage, and we can't even offer you a cup of tea, for we're all out, and I had to send Jeanette for some."
"Don't worry about that," remarked Phil.
"We've got all the food we can eat over at the tent," went on Tom.
All entered the charming little cottage, and the boys told of their experiences since coming to camp, while the girls detailed the happenings of their journey that morning.
A small steamer, making regular trips about the lake, had left them and their baggage at the island, which was beginning to be quite a Summer resort. A new store had recently been built on the place, and provided a variety of articles, including foodstuffs for the cottagers.
"There's a boat or two with this cottage," explained Madge. "We'll have to get them in the water to soak up, I suppose, and then we girls will give you boys some lessons in rowing; won't we, girls?"
