“I didn’t mean to, my dear,” was the gentle answer.

“I know you didn’t, and it was mean of me to talk that way,” and a plump, bare arm stole around the other’s neck, while a hand was run through the golden hair.  “But, don’t let’s think so much about them.  Perhaps they are not those two girls we met, after all.”

“Oh, I don’t believe they can be,” Ruth agreed.  “That would be too much of a coincidence.  But they are two girls—­”

“Not necessarily.  Maybe it’s only an unfounded rumor.  Russ says newspaper men often ‘plant’ a story like this off in some obscure place, and then use it as the basis for one of those lurid stories in the Sunday supplements.

“I shouldn’t wonder a bit but what this was one of those cases.  So, sister mine, go to sleep in peace, and in the morning you’ll have forgotten all about it.  Only don’t let’s tell any one, for some of the company, like Mr. Sneed, might make trouble for Mr. Pertell, saying alligators were there.”

“Well, there are.”

“Perhaps.  But who cares?  I’d like to get one ordinary-sized ’gator.”

“Why, Alice!  What for?”

“I’ve always wanted an alligator bag, and I never could afford it.  Now’s my chance.  But we may never get far enough into the interior for that.  By the way, where did it say those girls started from?  I didn’t half read it.”

“From Sycamore, near Lake Kissimmee.”

“Well, Mr. Pertell did mention that we might get to the lake, but he didn’t specify Sycamore.”

“No, and now I’m going to try and do as you said, and forget all about it,” and Ruth laid aside the paper and resumed putting up her hair for the night.

“I wonder what will happen to-morrow?” mused Alice, as she slipped into her robe, and thrust her feet into bath slippers.

“What do you mean?” Ruth’s voice was rather muffled, for her hair was over her face now.

“I mean Mr. Towne fell in to-day, and—­”

“Gracious, I hope you don’t infer that it’s someone else’s turn to-morrow!”

“Hardly!” laughed Alice.  “Hand me that cold cream, please, the salt air has chapped my face.  Oh, say, did you notice how much color Laura had on to-day?  If ever there was a ‘hand-made’ complexion hers was!”

“You shouldn’t say such things!”

“Why not?  When they’re true!  And such eyes as she made at poor Mr. Towne!”

Ruth slipped a rosy palm over her sister’s lips, but Alice pulled it away, and laughingly added: 

“She found that her glances failed to reach Paul, and so she’s trying her ‘wireless’ on—­”

“Alice, you must stop.  Someone may hear you!”

“Can’t!  Daddy has the stateroom on one side, and Mr. Pertell the other, and they’re both sound sleepers.  But I’ve finished anyhow.  You put out the light,” and with a bound, having completed her toilette, Alice was in her berth.

Ruth sighed, and then sat again staring off into space.  It must have been some little time, too, for when she turned to look at her sister, Alice was breathing deeply in sleep.