CHAPTER XVII
THE ROAD TO BREAKWATER
"What a delightful morning!" exclaimed Maud. "The wait was certainlyworth while. I do believe there is something inspiring about themorning air."
"Yes," rejoined Daisy, throwing in the second speed, "it always makesme feel like a human rain-barrel. I want to go out in a great, bigfield, and sit down in a lump. Then I want to throw back my head andopen my mouth very wide. That is my idea of drinking in the freshmorning air."
"Well, never mind the dewy morning business," called Cora. "Just getyour machines well under way. You know, we must make twenty-five milesby noon."
Cora was, as usual, in the lead. Daisy and Maud came next, then Bessand Belle lined up the rear, as Cora thought it best that the two bigmachines should lead and trail.
Cora tried her best to be cheerful. She had definite ideas about afriend's duty to a friend, and no one could say she failed in thatduty. Why should she think of Jack and Clip and Wren when she wascaptain of the Motor Girls' Club, and they expected a good time ontheir initial run?
"Oh, I am so glad everything happened!" exclaimed Tillie, who was inthe Whirlwind; "for if everything did not happen we never could havecome along."
"And we never could have had all our camping things," put in Gertrude."I am just dying to get out on the grass and light up under thekettles. That was a very bright idea of Adele's to fetch along part ofthe tea-house outfit."
"Won't it be jolly to build miniature caves to keep the wind from thelamp?" suggested Cora. "I tell you, after all, the motor girls werepoor housekeepers--we had to take lessons from our business friends."
This pleased Tillie immensely. She was the sort of girl who is glad toprove a theory, and in keeping the tea-house she had proven thatgirls--mere girls--are not always sawdust dolls.
Daisy was speeding up her machine to speak with Cora.
"There's Cedar Grove over there!" she shouted; "and Aunt May's is onlyfour miles from the turn in the road."
"But we are going to lunch on the road," replied Cora. "The girls arebent on camping out."
A cloud fell over Daisy's sensitive face. "I must telephone to papathat I am all right," she remarked. "Aunt May expected us last night,and if you girls do not want to come, Maud and I will go. We can meetyou farther on."
"Oh, of course," Cora hurried to say, "we must go on, since we areexpected. We can have the camping out to-morrow. I had actually losttrack of our plans in the mix-up."
"Isn't it too bad that Hazel had to turn back?" said Ray. "I do hopeher brother is not seriously ill."
"I heard last night that he was very much better," replied Cora. "Itseems that robbery unnerved him. Ridiculous as the situation appeared,it was no fun to Paul. I don't wonder he broke down."
Bess, Belle and Adele were in the Flyaway, and they, like the others,seemed to take new pleasure in flying over the roads since they hadrealized what it meant to have to stand still.
Adele was all enthusiasm. She had not often been privileged to enjoyautomobile sport, and the prospect of the trip seemed like an unopenedwonder book to her--every mile revealed new delights.
Along the shady byways, through the Numberland Hills, past the famoussprings, where everybody stopped to drink and make a wish, the motorgirls took their way.
"Let me lead now, Cora?" asked Daisy. "I am just dying for Aunt May tosee us come up. And say, girls, I've got the dearest, darlingestcousin--a young doctor!"
A scream went up from every throat. Daisy had not told of herattractive cousin until the party were within very sight of him.
"Me first!" shouted Belle. "I have been a perfect angel ever since weleft Chelton; didn't even speak to the nice man with the shortthumb--Clip's friend."
At that moment an auto dashed by. Tillie seized Cora's arm.
"That's the man who talked about Hastings!" she exclaimed. "The manwho took tea in our house yesterday."
"And that's the very man we met on the road the day Paul was help up,"Cora declared. "Oh, now I see the coincidence. Of course they heardof the hold-up, they being on the road about the time it happened, andwhen they were at your house they might have been discussing the latestaccount of the affair--there was something in the daily paper about it,you know."
Cora was not sure she believed herself, but at the moment she decidedit would be best for the happiness of the party to think lightly of themeeting with the strange men. Rob Roland's voice still rang in herears like a threat, and while she was no coward neither did she invitetrouble.
There seemed now to be clearly some connection between the missingpapers from the mailbag and the missing promise book, but of the twoCora's girlish heart considered the loss of the book the more serious.
"Did you ever see such old-fashioned houses in all your born days?"asked Bess. "Look at that one over there. If our table is not in thathouse, then we had better abandon the antique and look in some new,first-class hotel."
"That house over there is my aunt's!" shouted Daisy, laughing at Bessfor making the blunder, "and I am going to tell Duncan exactly what youhave said about it."
Bess begged off, and made all sorts of apologies, but Daisy insistedthat her cousin, the doctor, should hear what Bess thought of one ofthe finest old mansions in Breakwater.
"Here we are!" called Daisy, pulling up on the gravel drive. "Andthere are Duncan and Aunt May."
Out on the broad veranda stood a young man--plainly a professional, forwhile at a glance a girl might decide that Duncan Bennet was "up todate," still there was about him that disregard for conventionalitythat betokens high thinking, with no room for the consideration oftrifling details of every-day life.
Cora instantly said: "There! He's fine!"
Ray was thinking: "How unpolished!"
Bess whispered to Belle: "I see trouble ahead. Gertrude will want totake him along."
Maud was "adjusting her eyes." She could not forget her famous"imploring look."
But Duncan Bennet, with one bound, left the veranda, clearing the stepswithout touching them, and he was in front of Daisy's car dangerouslysoon.
"Look out, Duncan!" called Daisy. "Do you want to spatter yourself allover my nice clean machine?"
"Not exactly," he replied, "but I felt I should do something definiteto welcome you. I suppose I may extend the kiss of peace?"
"Oh!" gasped Maud. "Will he really kiss us?"
"Without a doubt," replied his cousin, laughing. "Duncan Bennet isfamous for his hospitality, and quite demonstrative. Don't worry,dear. He is an awfully nice fellow."