CHAPTER XII
NEARLY AN ACCIDENT
"Look at the sun! Look at the sun!" cried Betty, sitting up in bed andgazing joyfully out at the sun-drenched landscape. "Girls, for goodnesssake, wake up. How can you sleep, Grace?"
Grace groaned and opened one eye.
"House afire?" she asked sleepily.
"Of course not, Silly. But the world is."
Betty was evidently in high spirits, thought Grace, as she rolled overand regarded her critically.
"What do you mean--'the world is'?" she inquired grumpily, managing withgreat difficulty, to open the other eye. "Can't you talk sense?"
"Not on a morning like this," retorted Betty, running to the window andthrusting her head far out into the balmy air. "Look, Lazybones, theroads are pretty nearly dry and we couldn't ask for a more wonderfulday."
"What time is it?" queried Grace, without enthusiasm. She was alwaysunenthusiastic before breakfast in the morning, especially if shehappened to get to bed rather late the night before.
"Half-past six," replied Betty, turning from the window and beginninghurriedly to gather her things together. "And we all agreed last nightto get up at six. I wonder if I'm the only one stirring."
As if in answer to her question, there came a soft tap on the door andtheir hostess' voice speaking to them.
"Breakfast is almost ready," she said. "I had it prepared earlyespecially for you."
"That was dear of you," replied Betty, adding with the greatest ofoptimism, considering that three of them were not yet out of bed: "We'llbe down in ten minutes."
Although the ten minutes stretched into fifteen, it is a tribute toBetty's excellent generalship that the dressing of the other three girlswas managed in that time.
But perhaps the aroma of bacon floating temptingly up to them hadsomething to do with it after all, for they all four boasted youthfullyunimpaired appetites.
However that may be, the fact remains that in fifteen minutes from thetime Mrs. Barnes stopped at the door, four very pretty and very hungryyoung girls gathered in the dining room, ready and eager for the day'sadventure. Mrs. Ford was already there.
Joe was there too, looking even more bronzed and attractive in themorning light, and Betty, glancing at him, could scarcely believe thatwhat the boy had told her the night before had not been a dream. Thatsplendid specimen of young manhood refused the right to serve hiscountry because he had lung trouble! She could not even bring herself tothink that other word, that horrible word, consumption.
But there was one thing certain--she had not been mistaken in herjudgment of the night before. He might once have been the victim ofdisease, but he surely was not now.
Perhaps something of what she was thinking was reflected in her eyes asshe looked at him, for he returned the glance with so much admiration inhis own that she hastily looked away and became absorbed in the bacon onher plate.
It was a very merry breakfast and a very good one, and when the timecame at last for taking leave of their lovely hostess, they foundthemselves unexpectedly reluctant to do so.
"I wish you were coming with us," said Mrs. Ford, after the lady hadwaved aside her thanks for the good time they had had. "I am sure youwould enjoy the trip almost as much as we would enjoy having you withus."
"I wish it were possible for me to go," Mrs. Barnes replied ratherwistfully, as they started down the steps to the waiting automobiles."It is rather lonesome out here," then, catching a glance from her son,who was trying to carry three handbags at once, she added hastily: "Butof course I love it and would miss it awfully. Joe, be careful, dear,you nearly dropped that bag in the dirt."
"I always thought I'd make good in the juggling profession," replied Joeruefully, as he skillfully recovered the bag in question, "but I guess Iwas mistaken. Where do these go, Miss Billette--anywhere?" he asked,turning to Mollie.
"Yes, just throw them in," replied Mollie, carelessly, absorbed intesting out her engine. "Only leave room for Mrs. Ford, that's all."
Then, as Amy stopped to speak to Grace, Joe escorted Betty to her littleracer and helped her into the driver's seat, though little help Bettyneeded or asked of anyone.
"It's rather a rough deal, isn't it?" he asked suddenly.
"What?" inquired Betty, surprised.
"Fate introduces us one minute, then snatches you away in the next,before I've had time for more than a word with you."
"Why, I remember several words we've had together," laughed Betty as shesettled herself more comfortably in her seat. "Is there anythingparticular you want to say to me?"
Joe started to speak, evidently thought better of it, and looked up ather soberly.
"I've already told you more than I ever expected to tell any one," hesaid, and she stretched out an eager, sympathetic little hand to him.
"I know, and I have felt very proud of that confidence," she saidearnestly.
"Then you will let me write to you and tell you how things are with me?"
"Oh, I should be so glad!" she said, and there was no doubting hersincerity.
He had no more than time to flash her a grateful glance when Grace cameup and put an end to the conversation.
Amid expressions of friendship on both sides and laughing farewells, thetwo cars slid backwards along the drive and out on to the road. Thenwith a purring of engines, the little racer leaped ahead with Mollie inclose pursuit. They were off once more.
It was as Betty had said. The long clear night and the bright morningsunshine had done much toward drying the roads and though they werestill rather sticky and slippery, the girls had no difficulty in keepingup a good rate of speed.
"This is something like," cried Grace, as she stretched both arms aboveher head and breathed deep of the balmy air. "I could be completelyhappy if it weren't for one thing."
Betty had no need to ask what that one thing was, and at mention of ither thought turned involuntarily to Allen. Was he safe or had hetoo--she shuddered at the thought.
"Wasn't it strange?" she said, seeking to change the conversation andthe trend of her own thoughts at the same time, "that Joe Barnes provedto be Mrs. Barnes' son?" It was not at all what she had intended to say,and out of the corner of her eye she saw Grace turn and look at hercuriously.
"No, I can't see that it's so very strange," Grace said dryly. "At leastI have seen stranger things."
"Well, you know what I mean," retorted Betty, still absently. "He isawfully nice, isn't he?"
"That's what he seemed to think of you," returned Grace slyly.
"Of course he did! Why shouldn't he?" challenged Betty, coming out ofher abstraction and smiling gayly. "I like me, myself."
"That's the worst of it," sighed Grace, turning for consolation to herinevitable box of chocolates. "No matter how awful you are, we have tolove you just the same. Look out, Betty," as the car took a curve onthree wheels. "Goodness! you're getting to be a more expert skidder thanMollie."
"Thanks," returned Betty, executing a bow whose grace was somewhatimpaired by the proximity of the steering wheel. "Willst hand me acandy, Gracie, honey? Thanks. That's a good girl!"
For a long time after that they were quiet, enjoying the swift motion,the warm wind upon their faces, the fragrance of flowers and of moistsweet earth flung to them from the depths of the woodland.
Before they knew it, they had reached the outskirts of Bensington, thenBensington itself, and were speeding through the queer little townwithout a thought of stopping when a warning signal from Mollie's hornbrought them to an abrupt stop. Betty jumped out and ran back.
"We'll need some provisions," Mollie called to her. "Unless you andGrace think we can reach the next town by noon."
"That's what we planned to do," Betty answered. "Grace and I thought itwould save time not to stop here--and we haven't any time to waste, youknow."
"All right," Mrs. Ford decided. "Perhaps it will be just as well, for weshall have to put on all speed in order to reach Bluff Point beforenight."
So Betty ra
ced back to her machine and in a moment more they were offagain, fairly eating up the miles. As the roads grew dryer and dryerbeneath the scorching heat of the sun they made even better time until alittle past twelve o'clock they entered the little village of HillCrest.
The place boasted nothing so magnificent as a hotel, but they managed tofind a little bake shop where the rosy-cheeked country woman who workedthere made them up some delicious sandwiches, supplied them withtempting rolls and cake, and, wonder of wonders, set upon the table apitcher of fresh milk.
When they had finished this rural but eminently satisfying repast, theyhurried over to the one big general store to buy a few supplies thatthey would need that night. It was necessary to lay in only a limitedamount, as Grace's aunt Mary had thoughtfully left her cottage wellstocked and had informed them that eggs, chickens and vegetables of allkinds could be had fresh from the farmers round about.
Then they were off again, eyes upon that ribbon of road in front, intentupon reaching their destination before nightfall.
It was not till about four o'clock that they met with their firstsetback.
Betty had just rounded a turn in the road, horn honking for all it wasworth, when she found herself almost on top of a huge farm wagon.
She yelled to the driver and put on her brakes hard, hoping desperatelythat Mollie would not run into her from behind. Grace shrieked andcovered her face with her hands.
It was a narrow escape, for when the car had finally stopped there wasnot more than about an inch between it and the wagon in front. LuckilyMollie had been warned by the noise of the horn, and had stopped hermachine just around the turn of the road. She and Mrs. Ford and Amy camerunning to see what the matter was.
Meanwhile Betty had recovered herself and was smiling apologetically upat the frightened driver. His horses, startled by the noise and shoutinghad tried to bolt, and he had had all he could do to hold them in. Theresult was a slightly heated condition on the part of his temper.
"I'm sorry," Betty was saying, her voice still tremulous from thesudden fright she had received. "I thought--"
"Yes, an' I thought too," he interrupted, in a gruff, rude tone thatwhipped the color to her face. "It would be a heap better if somefolks'd think before they done things. Durned old gasoline wagons."
And, still muttering, the angry man turned and whipped up his team whilethe girls stared after him dumbly.