"And terribly scary," added Florence, grabbing Jo Ann by the arm. "Come on."

Even though Jo Ann was reluctant to leave this fascinating spot, she too felt more comfortable when they climbed back up the bank and out on the lighted sidewalk again. Her thoughts centered once more on the mystery man whose work kept his life endangered by smugglers.

"I hope he breaks up that gang of smugglers without losing his life," she told herself.

After they had said good-by to the coast guard, they went to the nearest hotel.

"The first thing we've got to do now," Jo Ann said while they were being whisked up in the elevator, "is to phone Lucile and tell her we're here."

"She'll be sure to invite us to her house to dinner tonight," put in Peggy, her eyes shining with anticipation.

"Won't it be nice to be together again?" added Florence.

As soon as Jo Ann had succeeded in getting Lucile on the telephone, Peggy and Florence listened eagerly to the one-sided conversation and tried to guess the other side.

Lucile's eager voice came back quickly in answer to Jo Ann with an invitation for all five to spend the night at her home. "You've arrived at the right moment," she went on. "Edna is visiting me and I'm having a little dinner party for her tonight."

Jo Ann refused the first part of the invitation, explaining that they had already secured their rooms at the hotel. "We'll be delighted to come to your dinner party, though," she added.

Miss Prudence broke in quickly with an emphatic, "Tell her it'll be impossible for me and Carlitos to come. I'm too tired to go another step anywhere. If they'll come after you girls and bring you back, it'll be all right for you to go without me."

Jo Ann relayed this message to Lucile, ending, "We'll be ready when you get here."

CHAPTER IV PRESSING DIFFICULTIES

After Jo Ann had finished talking to Lucile, Florence and Peggy asked together, "Is it a real party she's having? Will we have to dress up?"

"Yes, we'll have to wear dinner dresses, of course. We'll have to speed, too, if we're to be ready when she gets here."

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