After Ella had been left at the hotel—where her father was waiting for her on the porch—Carrie and Mattie were escorted to the Helms' bungalow and then the Riddle Club enjoyed a moonlight walk over the deserted beach to their own comfortable cottage.
"Gee, Carrie never will get over the way you fooled us, Daddy," Fred said to his father.
"I'm sorry if I hurt her feelings," declared Mr. Williamson seriously. "It was all a joke."
Polly and Margy and Jess enjoyed talking things over the next day. They were sure that Ella Mooney had had a happy time and really enjoyed the party. When the next week a gracefully-worded little note, addressed to Mrs. Marley, but including every one at Meeker Cottage by name, arrived from Ella, the girls were made doubly sure.
"It was the nicest party I ever went to," wrote Ella. "And I told my father every single thing that happened. I wrote it all down in my diary, too, and some day I will show it to you."
The busy summer days marched along briskly after the beach party. Captain Mooney had asked Mr. Williamson to bring the "young folks" over to see Ella, but one thing and another conspired to put off the visit. Once the Captain even sent his car, but the cottage was closed and every one off on a picnic. Most of the time, the three fathers were at River Bend, and when they were away the car left in the barn was almost useless, since none of the mothers liked very much to run it.
Then, too, truth to tell, the members of the Riddle Club had always been able to amuse themselves in perfect contentment without outside influences. Perhaps, without knowing it, they had grown clannish. They liked Ella more than a little, but they did not miss her, and so Captain Mooney's invitation passed from their minds except when one of the girls happened to recall it by saying:
"I suppose we ought to go and see Ella Mooney next week."
"What do you think!" said Artie one morning at the breakfast table. "I met Albert Holmes, and Joe Anderson is coming down next week to stay another two weeks."
"Now that," Fred remarked, reaching for another muffin, "is my idea of good news! Do you know any more?"