er rug on the warm sands, lazily

d to show herself among mortals. Many of the bathers stopped to watch with a

tching Barbara. She

rg refused to prosecute the two foreig

strangers put out of their hotel, even driven away from Palm Beach. But the countess's reply had been polite, but firm. No; she d

o men sent away without the least publicity attending their dismissal. Still the decision of the countess remained u

othing more

id admiration. So far as Ruth knew they had not repeated their attempt to arrest the countess. But

ious woman swindler at large at

dent. "If the scandal goes any further I shall side with her, no matter what may be the consequen

uth," it inquired, "that suspicion of a certain person wi

study, and was embarrassed and annoyed

ing from his swim in the ocean, and had laid himself in

w this clever Frenchman could read her mind like an open book. But she did

ard your last remark. Yet I do not see why you think the Countess Sophia may be accused of being this notorious woman criminal. It is true she allows herself to be persecuted without reason. She will not

Duval was able to present against the young countess. She flush

iged to continue

p your friend?" he

" Ruth repl

rything, but say nothing. And, above all t

an boys he had seen diving for pennies. Mr. Duval next told Ruth of a walking trip he had once made through southern Italy. She listened very much against her will to the

ward to join Ruth and Monsieur Duval. Bab ran up the beach, shaking the dro

His words had been for Ruth's ears alone. As Miss Stuart

bringing Ruth back to earth again. "The Countess Sophia was right in saying our American climate in the

, and going back to the idea that was uppermost in her mind.

e by a modiste in Vienna, who, I happen to know, is one of the most expensive in Europe. On the other hand Madame de Villiers a

the countess to-morrow nigh

d. "It is true your father may not have returned from his fishin

be invited to eat food paid for by money gained dishonest

marked Miss Sallie with sudden energy. "I d

what do you dislike most ab

her impatiently. "Everything I should say. I must

have seen her face grow hard as rock and look positively wicked when

your imaginations have too free rein. I don't approve of the woman an

urself. Some day you'll see I am right. Oh, here come Mollie and Grace. What's new, chillun

Mollie's cheeks were very red, and that she wore a look of suppressed excitement. Grace seemed almost equally agitated. Before she could reach the

o her. Putting her hand back to her curls she hastily untied the ribbon that bound them. The ribbon was blue. In an instant Mol

ng themselves from the crowd of talkers Bab and

emember the blue ribbon. It was to signify: 'I have

e whispered mysteriously, "we saw a red flag tied to one of the posts