"I think it would be fine, Marcia!" said Dolly, with shining eyes. "I was just wishing for a race this morning. When shall we have it?"
"Why not this afternoon?" asked Marcia. "We could race out to the lighthouse on the rock out there and back. That's not very far, but it's far enough to make a good race, I should think."
"Splendid!" said Dolly. "What sort of a boat is yours?"
"Just the same as yours, I think. We can see when they come, and if one is bigger than the other, we can arrange about a handicap. Miss Turner said she thought she ought to be in one boat, and Miss Mercer in the other."
"Yes, I think so, too. And I'll be skipper of our boat, and have Bessie King and Margery Burton for a crew. Who is your skipper?"
"Gladys Cooper," answered Marcia, after a slight pause.
"Bully for her! Just you tell her I'm going to beat her so badly she won't even know she's in a race."
Marcia laughed.
"All right," she said. "I'll let you know when we're ready."
"Now, then, Bessie," said Dolly, "just you come out with me to the sloop in that skiff, and I'll show you just what you'll have to do. It won't be hard—you'll only have to obey orders. But you'd better know the names of the ropes, so that you'll understand my orders when I give them."