“We don’t have to go on the islands to look for the Cucumber,” Gar insisted. “The girls couldn’t hide that boat if they tried. It’s so green you can hear it, to say nothing of the noise that engine makes.”
“Oh, no, we don’t have to go inland at all,” Nancy agreed with elaborate indifference. “I just wanted to look around and hurry Rosa along. She has a way of staying over, if it’s only to gather weeds. Rosa doesn’t seem to worry, ever, about keeping her appointments, but I didn’t want Margot to spoil any of our fun, just because Rosa stayed out all day, you see,” finished Nancy, quite confused from the length of her speech and its utter improbability.
“Let’s skirt around these islands,” proposed Paul, “and if we don’t spy the Cuke we better try over at the Point. They may be picnicking. Katherine loves the lollypops they sell at the Point—I know.”
“All right,” agreed, Gar, “but after that I’ve got to get back. Promised to drive down for Dell, you know, and she isn’t walking off fat.”
They skirted the islands but did not discover the long green boat at any landing or out upon the lake. Then they proceeded to navigate in the direction of the Point. Here they encountered many boats of many descriptions, for the Point was not only a pretty point of land extending out into the water, but it was also a point of recreation and general interest for summer folk for miles around.
“Not here,” reported Paul, for there was no sign of the girls, and the boat was nowhere to be seen. “Better go back home. They could have gone in through the cove, you know.”
“Of course they could, and I’ll bet they have,” declared Gar. “Well, we had a fine sail, anyway. Hope you enjoyed it, Miss Brandon?” he finished in assumed formality.
“Very much,” simpered Nancy imitating Gar’s affectation. “I had been rather dull all day, but this—” she swept the lake with a broad gesture—“this is glorious.”
“Joking aside,” said Paul, “are you having any fun, Nancy? That cousin of yours is as hard to manage as a young colt, I’d say.”
“Oh, no, she isn’t, really,” replied Nancy. “We have wonderful times now, much better than we did at first when we didn’t understand each other.”