"Is she a Broadway star?" asked Prue.
"Oh, she's a star all right," Cecile said, with disgust in her tone. "We've been a trio of sillies, ignoring her. Fordy's fallen on both feet—only he's too dense to know it, I s'pose."
"Tell us!" commanded Prue. "Who is she?"
"She's no screen actress," answered the gloomy Cecile.
"Who is she, then?" gasped Marian.
"Sue Perriton says she is Mrs. Conroth's niece, and Mrs. Conroth is all the Society with a capital letter there is. Now, figure it out," said Cecile tartly. "If you smarties had taken her up right at the start——"
"But we didn't kno-o-ow!" wailed Marian.
"Go on!" commanded Prue grimly.
"Why, Miss Grayling's father is a big scientist, or something, at Washington. Her mother happened to be born here on the Cape; she was a Card. This girl is just stopping over there with that old fellow who keeps the store—her half-uncle—for a lark. What do you know about that?"
"My word!" murmured Marian.