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Betty Lee's vacation before her senior year cannot be passed over with only casual mention, for it was the "best yet" as declared by Betty and her two closest chums, Kathryn Allen and Carolyn Gwynne. After the last exciting activities of June days as juniors and the pleasing freedom from examinations won by good scholarship, the three girls found themselves, with others of their class, equipped with cards that certified completion of the junior work.

Before them stretched long weeks when, Betty said, they "didn't have to know anything," and that state of mind obviously gave them all great pleasure.

Up in the girls' gym, almost vacant now, they took a last swing and jump, as they happened to have reason to pass through; and Betty and Carolyn performed a few funny steps to express their happy state of mind before they finally left halls to which they would be just as glad to return in the fall.

However, Betty was expecting to swim in "something beside pools and rivers." She gave a little skip as they ran down the walk toward the Gwynne car, which this time was waiting for them. "I can't believe it, Carolyn! 'Are I' really going with you to the seashore? I never saw the ocean but once, when I went East with Father, you know. I said appropriately, 'Roll on thou deep and dark blue ocean roll,' but it wasn't dark blue a bit. It happened to be a perfectly horrid gray morning. It was wonderful, all the same."

"Oh, but you ought to see it sometimes, Betty! I hope we'll have good weather, no cold 'nor'easters' or anything. But I'm as excited as can be myself. Think of it, Betty-a perfectly new cottage in a different place this time. Daddy had such a good chance to sell the old one and we may buy this if we like it. But we're renting it for the summer."

"It doesn't seem right that we should just visit you," said Kathryn.

"Listen! We've had that out before, Gypsy Allen. I'm to have my own room and I can have whomever I want-all summer. I expect to keep it full! That's my reward for being a good girl and getting my lessons, in spite of, well, you know how hard it is to get 'em."

"We do!" said Kathryn and Betty, "una cum voce."

"So," continued Carolyn, "why shouldn't I have the girls I like best as long as I can induce-them-to-stay?" Carolyn uttered formally the last part of her sentence, with her head in the air and a high and mighty look.

The girls giggled as they settled themselves in the car. "Drive around to Kathryn's and Betty's first, please," said Carolyn to the Gwynne chauffeur, "then home."

Betty had not had a chance to call up home since Carolyn had invited her and Kathryn "to come out and celebrate." Both she and Kathryn wanted to get rid of certificates and books, not to mention certain other articles that seemed to persist in staying in lockers. Carelessness or forgetting had nothing to do with that, of course.

"Do you like clams and chowders and things, Betty Lee?" asked Carolyn, after the last stop and delivery of goods, with pleasant permissions to stay at Carolyn's.

"I liked everything we tried at New York," replied Betty, "and I know that I'll just adore all the sea food."

"You're going to get it," Carolyn leaned back against the cushions and stretched forward her stylishly shod toes. "We have beach parties and everything."

That sounded delightful. Betty had never heard of a beach party. Yet, she supposed she must have read of them in stories. But this was different. She was going to be in one. "And I haven't told you one delicious secret!"

"Oh, tell us, Carolyn!" Kathryn spoke beseechingly.

Carolyn laughed and looked mysterious. "I haven't decided whether to keep it a secret and surprise you, or to tell you now."

"Tell us now," urged beaming Kathryn.

"Maybe it would be more of a thrill if she surprised us," Betty suggested, smilingly regarding Carolyn and wondering what the surprise or secret might be.

"Well," Carolyn drawled, "I'll have to make up my mind about it. The trouble is, you might find out about it some other way, and then I'd miss the fun of seeing you surprised."

"That gives us our cue for going right up in the air over whatever it is, Betty-to please Carolyn!" But Kathryn was regarding Carolyn affectionately as she said this.

"Suppose you give us a hint of what it is and let us guess," said Betty.

Carolyn shook her head negatively. "Spoil it all. Maybe I'll announce it later. We are going to have our lunch inside, find the coolest spot in the house to talk over our plans and decide what to take and so on, as you wanted to do, Betty, and then have our dinner a la picnic under the trees by the fountain, nothing but cool lemonade and ice cream!"

It was a hot day, but Betty knew there would be more on the menu than lemonade and ice cream, which would probably be included in their lunch. Oh, it was always so nice at Carolyn's!

In Carolyn's own room after lunch the girls took off frocks and shoes and lay on the bed to plan for their month together at the seashore. Not that it was the only topic of conversation, for school affairs were too recently over for dismissal. Lucia Coletti's departure for Italy with her father and mother was one interesting subject.

"Yes," said Betty, "they were awfully rushed at the last, you know, but Lucia called me up, just before they were driving to the station, to say another goodbye. I would have gone to the station with her, only under the circumstances it didn't seem appropriate. You know how it is, and Lucia and I had had our final visit before."

"Don't you go and think more of Lucia than you do of us," reminded Kathryn with, a grin.

"Couldn't," laughed Betty, "but Lucia is a fine girl just the same; and she had to have some friends, didn't she?"

"Yes, more than she wanted of some sorts," wisely said Carolyn.

"They naturally would have a good deal of attention," said Betty. "I was the first girl Lucia knew. But Lucia will not forget any of us. The countess is prettier than ever and they are all so perfectly happy to be together again. The count rather wanted to go back before, but Lucia persuaded them to wait till she could finish her work. It was a good thing she didn't have to stay for the examinations."

"Do you have any idea, Betty, that she will come back for her senior year?"