Madge Morton, Captain of the Merry Maid | Page 3

check for two hundred dollars! She says I am to spend the money on
my summer vacation in any way I like, provided Aunt Sue and Uncle
William approve."

"But you can't go off traveling by yourself," objected Eleanor. "I should
think you would hate to spend your summer alone."
"Alone!" Madge answered indignantly. "Who said I meant to spend my
vacation alone? I want you three girls to spend the six weeks with me.
Only last night Eleanor and I said that we four girls could never be
really happy anywhere without one another."
"Generous Madge," smiled Lillian affectionately. "Two hundred dollars
seems quite a fortune. Perhaps you ought not to spend it all. Where can
we go, and what can we do?"
"Young ladies," a stern voice spoke just outside the door, "kindly
remember this is the study hour. You are expected to keep silence."
An unusual stillness fell on the four offenders. Only Madge's blue eyes
flashed rebelliously. "It's that tiresome Miss Jones. You might know
she would be somewhere about. She is the crossest teacher in this
school."
"Sh-sh, Madge," Eleanor lowered her voice, "Miss Jones might hear
you. She is ill, I am sure. That is what makes her so cross. Phil and I
are both sorry for her."
"Oh, you and Phil are sorry for everybody. That's nothing! Thank
goodness, there is the bell! It is the recreation hour. Come, my beloved
chums, I simply must think of some way to spend our vacation and I
never can think indoors. 'It is the merry month of May,'" caroled Madge.
"Come, Phil, let us go down to the water and take Nell and Lillian
rowing. It is a dream of an afternoon, all soft and sunshiny, and the
river folk are calling us, the frogs, and the water rats----"
"Dear me, Madge," teased Phil, "do hush. We are glad enough to go
rowing without an invitation from the frogs. We have two hours before
supper time. Shall we ask poor Miss Jones to go with us? She does not
have much fun, and you know it is her duty to make us keep the rules.
Miss Jones admires you very much, Madge. She said you were clever
enough to do anything you liked, if you would only try. But she knows

you don't like her."
"Then she knows the truth," returned naughty Madge. "No, Phil, please
don't ask Miss Jones to come out with us this afternoon, there's a dear. I
told you I wanted to think. And I can think brilliantly only when in the
company of my beloved chums."
Phyllis Alden and Madge Morton were good oarsmen. Indeed, they
were almost as much at home on the water as they were on land. Each
girl wore a tiny silver oar pinned to her dress. Only the week before
Madge had won the annual spring rowing contest; for Miss Tolliver
made a special point of athletics in her school, and fortunately the
school grounds ran down to the bank of a small river.
Phil and Madge rowed out into the middle of the river with long,
regular strokes. They were in their own little, green boat, called the
"Water Witch." Lillian sat in the stern, trailing her white hands idly in
the water. Eleanor sat quietly looking out over the fields.
Suddenly Madge, who always did the most unexpected things in the
world, locked her oars across the boat and sat up in her seat with a jerk
that rocked the little craft.
"Girls, I have thought it all out!" she exclaimed. "I have the most
glorious, the most splendid plan you ever heard of in the world! Just
wait until you hear it!"
"Madge," Phil called in horror, "do sit down!" The boat was careening
perilously. Before Phil could finish her speech Madge had tumbled
over the side of the skiff and disappeared in the water below.
The girls waited for their friend to rise to the surface. They were not
frightened, for Madge was an expert swimmer.
"I am surprised at Madge," declared Phil severely. "The idea of
plunging into the water in that fashion, not to mention almost capsizing
our boat! Why doesn't she come up?"

The second lengthened to a minute. Still Madge's curly head did not
appear on the surface of the water. Eleanor's face turned white. Madge
had on her rowing costume, a short skirt and a sailor blouse. She could
easily swim in such a suit. But perhaps she had been seized with a
cramp, or her head might have struck against a rock at the bottom of the
river!
Lillian and Phil shared Eleanor's anxiety. "Sit still, girls," said Phyllis.
"I must dive and see what has happened to Madge. If you are quiet, I
can dive out of