While waiting for him and Paul to return, the girls slipped up to their room a minute.

“Just to freshen up,” as Alice put it, though really there was no need in her case, nor on the part of Ruth, either.  The day was perfect—­like summer—­and the girls, knowing they were coming to the land of the palm and orange blossom, had brought suitable dresses.

Ruth wore white, with a mere suggestion of trimming in blue, and with her fair hair and blue eyes she was a picture that made more than one man—­elderly as well as young—­turn for a second look.

The darker beauty of Alice was well set off by her dress of light tan pongee with maroon trimming, and her sparkling brown eyes were dancing with life, and the love of life, as she came out to join her sister and the young men.

“Primping, as usual,” mocked Russ, but with a laugh that took the sting out of his words.

“Naturally,” agreed Alice, determined not to let him “fuss” her.

They strolled out under the beautiful loggia, through an avenue of palms and many tropical plants, and breathed deeply of the perfumed air.

“Oh, it is perfect—­just perfect!” sighed Ruth.  “I think the Garden of Paradise must have been in Florida.”

“There you go!” cried Alice.  “First you know you’ll want to go off and live the simple life under a palm tree, with bananas for lunch and oranges for dinner.  And when your—­er—­your hero—­we’ll say, comes riding on that milk-white steed I so despise, you’ll be so thin that he won’t know you.”

“Thank you!” returned her sister.  “But a svelte figure is much to be desired these days.”

“Not that you’re getting stout!” declared Alice.  “Really it is I who ought to diet on bananas and—­”

“Orange blossoms,” finished Paul.

“Thanks,” and she bowed gracefully to him.

“Well, Paul, where is it to be—­you’re the guide?” asked Russ, as they emerged on King street.  “Where’s your map?”

“I have it.  What do you say we go out to the old city gates, and then to Fort Marion?”

“Wherever you say,” agreed Alice.  “It is all new to us.”

They soon reached the north bend of St. George street and stood before the old city gates.  These once formed part of the northerly line of defence of the ancient city.

“Built in 1743,” declaimed Alice, as she read from the bronze tablet set in the masonry by the D.A.R.  “My, how long ago that seems; doesn’t it?”

“A mere trifle!” replied Russ, airily.  “Get together there, and I’ll snap you,” he invited.  “If you think that’s old we’ll go to the Fountain of Youth a little later, and renew our youngness.”

“Oh, is that really here?” cried Ruth, with such sudden interest that they all laughed.

“Yes, my ancient sister, it is,” said Alice.  “Dost wish to quaff a cup?”

“Merely for the novelty of it—­yes,” answered Ruth, and she too, laughed.  Her cheeks were the color of bridesmaid roses, and Russ, as he looked at her, wished—­