you’re ready to take your fun, and you take it just as hard as you take your work, and I don’t want to see a better bunch of men than that system shows.  I was over at the hotel last night, talking with four or five chaps, younger than you fellows here, and I swear it made me sick:  Bored to extinction doing nothing.  I’d like to take ’em on board for just about one month and if they didn’t find something doing in a watch or two I’d know why.  Keep right on having your fun, you and the girls—­ yes, girls, not a lot of kids playing at being nerve-racked society women.”

“Hear!  Hear!” cried Glenn Harold.  “What’s stirred you up, old man?”

“That bunch over yonder.  Keep a little girl as long as you can Peggy, and you, Polly, hold your present course.  Who ever charted it for you knew navigation all right.”

“I guess mother began it and then turned the job over to Aunt Janet, sir,” answered Polly.

“Well, she knew her business all right.  I’m mighty sorry she can’t be here today to see the race, but when she comes back from Northampton she’ll bring that other girl I’m so anxious to know too.  By George, the Rowland crowd puts up a good showing, and they seem to know how to choose their messmates too, if I can judge by Hunter.”

“Isn’t he the dearest brother a girl ever had?” asked Polly enthusiastically, for her love for her brother-in-law was a subject of pleasurable comment to all who knew her.

“One of the best ever, as I hear on all sides,” was Captain Stewart’s satisfactory answer.  “But here comes Boynton.  Ahoy!  Olympia Ahoy!” he shouted, hurrying out upon the piazza as a launch from the Olympia came boiling “four bells” toward Navy Bungalow’s dock, the white clad Jackies looking particularly festive and Captain Boynton of the Olympia with Commander Star of the Chicago sitting aft.  They waved their caps gaily and shouted in return.

“Glorious day!  Great, isn’t it?” as the launch ran alongside the dock and friends hurried down to meet friends.

“We came over to see how early you could be ready.  We must get up the course in good season this afternoon in order to secure a vantage point.  Mrs. Boynton wants you all—­yes—­the whole bunch, to come over to the Griswold for an early luncheon.  Mrs. Star will be with her and we’ll shove off right afterward.  Now no protests,” as Captain Stewart seemed inclined to demur.

“All right.  Your word goes.  “We’ll report for duty.  What’s the hour?”

“Twelve sharp.  There’s going to be an all-fired jam in that hotel but Mrs. B. has a private dining-room ready for us and has bribed the head waiter to a degree that has nearly proved my ruin.  But never mind.  We can’t see the Yale-Harvard race every day, and a month hence we’ll be up in Maine with all this fun behind us.”

That luncheon was a jolly one.  Captain Boynton had a daughter a little younger than Peggy and Mr. Star a little girl of eight.