CHAPTER II
THE WOODLAND CONFERENCE
In the first volume of this series, entitled "The Motor Girls; Or, AMystery of the Road," we became acquainted with these vivacious youngladies. Cora Kimball, the first to own her own motor-car, theWhirlwind, was the only daughter of Mrs. Grace Kimball, a wealthy widowof the little town of Chelton. Jack Kimball, Cora's brother, a typicalcollege boy, had plenty to do in unraveling the mystery of the road,while his chums, Walter Pennington and Edward Foster, were each suchattractive young men that even to the end it was difficult to guesswhich one would carry off the highest honors socially--with Cora asjudge, of course.
It was Ed Foster who lost the money, a small fortune, and it was therather unpleasant Sid Wilcox, and perhaps unfortunate Ida Giles, whofinally cleared up the mystery, happily enough, all things considered,although in spite of the other girls' opportune intention it was notpossible to reflect any degree of credit upon those responsible for thetroubles and trials which that mystery involved.
Speaking of the young men, Paul Hastings, a young chauffeur, should notbe overlooked. Paul was a very agreeable youth indeed, and his sister,Hazel, a most interesting young lady, with very special qualities oftalent and learning.
"Among those present" in the first volume were the attractive Robinsontwins, Bess inclined to rather more weight than height, and Belle, thetall, graceful creature, who delighted in the aesthetic and reveled in"nerves."
Mr. Perry Robinson, the girls' father, was a wealthy railroad magnate,devoted to carriage rides, and not caring for motors, but not too "set"to allow his daughters the entire ownership of the pretty newrunabout--the Flyaway.
Cora, Hazel, Bess and Belle were flying over the country roads in theircars, making for Woodbine Park, where they were to hold a preliminarymeet to arrange for a tour on the road.
Past the bridge at the appointed time, they reached the wooded parkexactly at twelve--the hour set for the rest and luncheon, to befollowed by the "business meeting."
"There come Daisy and Maud," called Cora, as along the winding road shediscerned another car approaching.
"And there are Clip and Ray," added Belle, shutting off the gasolineand preparing to bring her machine to a standstill.
"I think it a shame to call Cecilia Thayer Clip," objected Belle. "Sheis no more of a romp than--"
"Any boy," interrupted Bess. "Well, the boys call her Clip, and it'shandy."
By this time the new car was up in line with the others.
"'Lo, there!" called Cecilia, jerking her machine to a stop in themanner deplored by skilled mechanicians.
"Look out!" cautioned Cora. "You'll 'bust' something."
Cecilia had bounded out on the road.
"Stiff as a stick!" she exclaimed with a rather becoming twist of heragile form. "I never make that road without absorbing every bump onthe thoroughfare."
Cecilia was not altogether pretty, for she had the "accent on hernose," as Cora put it, but she was dashing, and, at a glance, one mighteasily guess why she had been called Clip.
Rachel Stuart was a striking blonde, tall to a fault, pink and white tobisqueness and, withal, evidently conscious of her charms. Even whilemotoring she affected the pastel tints, and this morning looked radiantin her immense blue scarf and her well-matched blue linen coat.
"You look," said Cora to Cecilia, as the latter continued to shakeherself out of the absorbed bumps, "like nothing so much as like a'strained' nurse--Jack's variety."
"Exactly that!" admitted Cecilia. "I have been searching high and lowfor a cheap and economical rig to drive in, and I have just hit uponthis." She pirouetted wonderfully. "All ready made--the 'strained'nurse variety, sure enough. How do you like it?"
"Very becoming," decided Bess.
"And very practical," announced Belle.
"Sweet," declared Cora.
"When you say a good thing, stop," ordered Cecilia, just as Ray wasabout to give her verdict.
"And now to the woods," suggested Cora. "We may as well put ourmachines up in the open near the grove. We can see them there, andmake sure that no one is tempted to investigate them."
It was a level stretch over the field to the grove. Cora led the wayand the others followed. Lunch baskets and boxes were quickly gatheredup from the machines, and, with the keenness of appetite common toyoung and healthy, and "painful" to our fair motorists (for Ceciliadeclared her appetite "hurt"), the party scampered off to anappropriate spot where the lunch might be enjoyed.
"And there are to be no boys?" asked Maud Morris, she with the"imploring look," as Cecilia put it, although Maud was familiarly knownas a very sweet girl.
"No boys!" echoed Bess, between uncertain mouthfuls.
Daisy Bennet turned her head away in evident disapproval.
"No boys," she repeated faintly. Daisy did everything faintly. She wasa perfectly healthy young girl, but a little affected otherwise--toofond of paper-covered books, and perhaps too fond of other sorts ofromance. But we must not condemn Daisy--her mother had thehealth-traveling habit, and what was Daisy to do with herself?
Cora handed around some lettuce sandwiches.
"I am just as keen on boys as any of you," she admitted, "but for areal motor girl tour it is apparent that boys will have to be tabooed."
Bess grunted, Belle sighed, Cecilia bit her tongue, Ray raised hereyebrows, Hazel made a "minute" of the report.
"And silence ensued," commented Cecilia, reaching back of Maud andsecuring a dainty morsel from the lunch-box of the latter.
"Water?" called Bess.
"Yes," chimed in Cecilia, "go and fetch some."
"The spring is away down the other side of the hill," objected Bess.
"You need the exercise," declared Cecilia.
"Clip, you go fetch some," suggested Cora, "and I'll give you half mypie."
Without another word Clip was on her feet, had upset Daisy's improvisedtable of sticks and paper napkins in her haste to secure the waterbottle, and was now running over the hill toward the spring.
Presently she stopped as if listening to something. Then she turnedand hurried back to the party on the grass. Her face was white withalarm.
"Oh!" she gasped. "I heard the awfullest groans! Some one must beeither dying for a drink, or dying from a drink. The groans were wet!"
Cora jumped up, as did some of the others.
"Come on," said Cora. "I'm not afraid. Some one may need help."
"Oh, they do--I am sure," panted Cecilia. "All kinds of help, I shouldsay. The moans were chromatic."
"Listen!" commanded Cora, as the sounds came over the hill. Low, thenfierce growls and groans, tapering down to grunts and exclamation markssounded through the grove.
"Oh!" screamed Belle.
"What can it be?" exclaimed Daisy.
"Almost anything," suggested Cora. "But we had best be specific," andshe started in the direction of the mysterious sounds.
Cecilia followed, as did Bess, while the others held off in evidentfear.
Although it was high noon, in the grove the heavy spruce and cedartrees darkened the place, and the farther the girls penetrated into thedepths of the wood, the deeper did the shadows close in around them.Cora picked up a stout stick as she advanced.
"Get me one," begged Cecilia. "We may encounter a bear."
"Human?" asked Cora with a laugh.
"Preferably," answered Cecilia, keeping very close to Cora.
The noises had ceased. The girls halted, waiting for a sound to givethem the clue of direction.
"He's dead!" gasped Cecilia. "It was the drink--he got the drink, andthen died!"
"As long as he got it," whispered Cora. She was anxious to catchanother "groan."
"There!" exclaimed Bess, as a sound, faint but decisive, was heard froma hollow ahead.
"Where?" asked Cora, purposely misunderstanding Bess.
"Here!" called Cecilia, who, with sudden resolve, had snatched thestick from Cora's hand, and now
darted forward.
She went straight for the spring.