Bobs, a Girl Detective

  CHAPTER XXVIII. THE HOUSE PARTY

  Ralph and Dick were out on the wide velvety lawn which surrounded thehandsome rambling summer home of the Caldwaller-Corys.

  The gay awnings, palms and boxes of flowers gave the house a festiveappearance, while the many colored lanterns strung about the gardensuggested that some merriment was planned for the evening.

  Mrs. Caldwaller-Cory, who seemed very young to be the mother of a juniormember of an ancient law firm, emerged from the house closely followed byRoberta Vandergrift.

  Bobs, in an attractive summer dress and wide flower-wreathed hat, lookedvery different from the girl who, while on the East Side, dressed in asimple dark tailor-made suit and a neat, narrow-brimmed hat.

  "Aren't your guests late, my son?" the hostess inquired. Ralph looked athis watch for the tenth time in as many minutes.

  "They certainly are," he replied, "late by a full hour now, and I amalmost inclined to think that they had a breakdown. They were coming inJack Beardsley's tallyho, and he said he would time the drive from NewYork so that they would reach us promptly at two-thirty, and now it isnearing four."

  Just at that moment a butler crossed the lawn and, beckoning Ralph to oneside, told him that someone awaited him at the telephone. Excusinghimself, the lad fairly ran indoors. As he had expected, it was the voiceof his friend, Jack Beardsley, that greeted him. "I say, Ralph, are youalone so that no one will get wise to what I am going to say?"

  "Yes," was the reply.

  "We don't want to worry her sister needlessly. There really is no causefor that, but we've been delayed at the Orange Hills Inn becauseGwendolyn Vandergrift, who isn't as strong as she thought, has foundriding in the tallyho too hard. She's got grit, that girl has! Nevercomplained, but kept up as long as she could that she need not troubleanyone until she just keeled over and fainted. She's better now, andPhyllis thought that if you would come over after her with that littlerunabout of yours, made comfortable with blankets and pillows, itwouldn't be as hard for Miss Vandergrift as this old tallyho of mine.Mrs. Buscom, the innkeeper's wife, will look out for her, and so, if youare coming, we'll start along, as I want to make the steep grade withthis lumbering vehicle of mine before dark."

  "Sure thing, I'll get there all right. I'll take a short cut through thehills, so you won't pass me, but don't be alarmed. I'll probably get backhere in The Whizz as soon as you do in the tallyho, so I won't sayanything to her sister, Roberta, as yet. So long."

  Again Ralph was acting on impulse. His first desire had been to take Bobswith him, but if he did there would not be room to make the invalidsister comfortable on the return trip, and, moreover, it wouldn't be fairto Dick.

  His dad wouldn't arrive with the big car until five-thirty, and so TheWhizz would have to do. Sending word out to the group on the lawn thatthe tallyho had been delayed but would soon arrive, Ralph donned hisleather coat, cap and goggles and made his way out through a backentrance and down to the garage. Soon thereafter he was speeding over acountry road which led among the hills and was a short cut of many milesto the Inn. He broke the speed limit whenever the dirt road was smoothenough to permit him to do so, but, although he frightened many a flockof birds from the hedges, no one arose from the wayside tangle to bid himgo more slowly.

  When at last he drew up at the Inn, the kind Mrs. Buscom appeared andsmilingly informed him that the young lady was quite rested and that thetallyho had been gone for half an hour. She was about to lead the wayinto the dim, old-fashioned parlor of the Inn when new arrivals delayedher, and so Ralph went in alone.

  The blinds in the old-fashioned parlor of the Inn were drawn, and, havingcome in from the dazzling sunshine, Ralph at first could scarcely see,but a girl, who had been seated in a haircloth rocker, arose and advancedtoward him. She wore a rose-colored linen hat and dress. For a moment thelad paused and stared as though at an apparition.

  "Bobs!" he ejaculated. Then he laughed as he extended his hand. "MissVandergrift, honestly, just for a second I thought that I was seeing avision. I had quite forgotten that you and your sister so closelyresemble each other, though, to be sure, you are taller than Bobs; butpardon me for not introducing myself. I am Ralph Cory, of whom, perhaps,you have heard."

  "And I am Gwendolyn Vandergrift, of whom I am sure that you have heard,else you would not have come for me," the girl smiled; and, to hisamazement, Ralph found that his heart was pounding like a trip-hammer."If you are sure that you are rested, Miss Vandergrift," he said, "wewill start back at once. I've brought soft pillows galore, and a jollysoft lap robe. I do hope you'll be comfortable."

  On the porch of the Inn, Gwen turned and, holding out a frail hand, shesaid to the kindly woman: "Thank you, Mrs. Buscom, for having taken suchgood care of me. I shall stop again on our way back to town."

  The bustling little woman helped arrange the pillows and tucked in theblanket. Then to Ralph she said as the machinery started: "Do take careof the pretty dear. It's like a flower she is, and ought to be shelteredfrom the rough winds of the world."

  "I'll do that little thing, Mrs. Buscom. Good-bye. Wish us luck!"

  Ralph drove slowly at first, but Gwen said, "I'm so well packed inpillows, Mr. Cory, it won't jar me in the least if you go faster." And sothe speed increased. It was late afternoon and the highway was deserted."I'd like to overtake the tallyho," Ralph remarked. "If I thought youwouldn't mind the pace we'd have to hit."

  Gwendolyn smiled up trustingly. "I have perfect faith in your driving,"she said. "I know you will take care of me."

  Ralph, looking into the face of the girl at his side, again had thestrange feeling that it was Bobs, only different, and--Oh, what was thematter with him, anyway? Was it possible that he liked the difference?

  Bobs had always been a frank comrade, more like another boy, when he cameto think of it, but this girl, who was equally beautiful, was dependingupon him to take good care of her.

  A fifteen-minute spurt brought them to the top of a hill and in thevalley below they saw the tallyho.

  Ralph stopped a brief moment on the plateau, leaped out to be sure thatThe Whizz was in perfect condition, and then anxiously inquired, "Are yousure you're game? Loop the loop won't be in it."

  Gwen nodded. "I'll like it," she assured him. The color had mounted toher cheeks and her eyes sparkled. "All right! Hold fast! Here goes!" ThenThe Whizz went like a red streak down that hill on which, as Ralph hadobserved from the top, there was nothing to impede their progress.

  They overtook the tallyho and slowed up that they need not startle thehorses. They had reached the outer boundaries of the Caldwaller-Coryestate.

  "Suppose I get back in the tallyho with the others," Gwen said, "thenBobs won't know that I had a fainting spell. If she knew it, she wouldfeel that she ought to take me right home, and I don't want to go." Hersmile at Ralph seemed to imply that he was her fellow-conspirator.

  "I'm not going to let you go," he heard himself saying.

  So the change was made. Ralph turned The Whizz into a rear entrance, usedonly by delivery autos, and in that way reached the garage.

  He had asked Jack Beardsley to give him time to get out on the lawnbefore he arrived, and so the three, who were still seated around a teatable under a spreading oak, saw Ralph coming from the house at the sametime that the tallyho entered the front gate.

  They little dreamed of all that had happened.