CHAPTER XXIX
MERRY MOTOR MAIDS
The runaways were forgiven, finally, although between four "enraged"young medical students, and the sextette of motor girls, Cora andDuncan had some difficulty in making it perfectly clear that the tripto Chelton was entirely unavoidable. It was a merry party thatgathered in Mrs. Bennet's long drawing-room that evening to makearrangements for the run over Breakwater roads in the morning. Thegirls at first refused to allow Cora a sight of the decorated carsuntil they should be in line, but Tillie was so proud of herachievement with the Whirlwind that all finally consented, and directlyafter tea the cars in the garage and in the big barn were admired andinspected. Certainly the machines did credit to the fair decorators.The Whirlwind was transformed into a moving garden, the sides beingfirst wound with strong twine, and into this were thrust all sorts offlowers in great, loose bunches. Only the softest foliage, inbranches, was utilized, as Tillie felt responsible for the luster ofthe "piano" polish, for which the Whirlwind was remarkable. The top ofthe car was like a roof garden, the effect being quite simply managed,for Tillie was resourceful. She had stretched across the roof of thecar a strong sheet of pasteboard. Into this she placed a great varietyof wild flowers, banking the stalks, which stood into holes made in theboard, with soft grasses and such ferns as might be depended upon notto "slink" in the sun.
"Wonderful!" exclaimed Cora with unfeigned delight. "But what an awfullot of trouble, Tillie!"
"It is for you," said the German girl sincerely, "and you have gone toan awful lot of trouble for me. Besides," she added, "you will look soqueenly in that throne of flowers."
The compliment was rather overwhelming--especially as the strange youngmen were there, they with Duncan adding a new line of adjectives to theadmiration party.
"You may look at our car, Cora," assented Bess, "although you were soindifferent, going away without even offering a suggestion as to whatwe might do."
"As if I could anticipate Belle's talent," said Cora with a laugh. "Ifeel I ought to answer to 'which hand' when I open my eyes on hercreation."
"Oh-h-h-h!"
The boys all joined in with Cora and Clip in the expressions ofdelight, for there was the pretty little runabout, the Flyaway, madeinto a "live pond lily."
"However did you do it?" asked Cora, actually amazed at the charmingeffect.
"I shouldn't tell," replied Belle, who was looking very pretty--atleast one of the strange boys thought so. It was Phil MacVicker who"kept track" of Belle, and it was the same gallant Phil, who, late inthe afternoon, helped Belle to finish up her pond lily.
"We may all guess why Belle chose that design," said Daisy, who waswaiting for the newcomers to pass judgment on her own runabout. "Apond lily has a yellow head, and Belle's is just about that shade."
It would be pretty to see a yellow head in the white peals of theimprovised lily. Cora satisfied her curiosity by finding out thatthese petals were nothing more than barrel staves covered with crushedwhite paper.
"You have had an awful lot to do, girls," she said with genuinesincerity. "I am actually sorry I could not have been here to help."
"Of course, mine is not so elegant," remarked Daisy, who led the way tothe other carriage house, where her machine was kept, "but I fancypeople will look at it."
Duncan "went wild" when he beheld what Daisy had rigged up. Averitable circus wagon--a cage, in which Daisy declared she was goingto sit with whip in hand, and Nero, the big St. Bernard dog, at herfeet.
"We made it out of clothes poles and laths," said Daisy proudly. "Ihave not taken a course in manual training for naught."
Then the boys had to fix up their cars. Duncan was tired--the otherboys were frisky--so he nicely suggested that they "do as they jollypleased with his car, so long as they left room for his feet."
Of course the boys wanted something grotesque. Phil suggested thatthey all carry out the circus idea, and "trail" after Beauty and theBeast. This was finally agreed to, and it was Duncan's car that theyturned into the calliope, actually going so far as to hire the localhurdy-gurdy man to ride in it and do the "callioping."
"It looks as if our run home would be more auspicious than the trip wemade in," said Cora to one of the very nice young students, who hadoffered to look over her car and see that it was in good working order."We had a dreadful time coming out here--but I suppose the girls havetold you about it."
Bentley Davis, otherwise called Ben, admitted that the young ladies hadspoken of the trip, and he presumed to predict a great time for theauto meet.
So it went on until the boys had to go back to their hotel, and thegirls, after discussing all sorts of necessary and unnecessary plans,finally consented to wait for the morrow.
Tired from their enthusiasm, as well as from muscular efforts, thegirls found their eyes scarcely "locked," before the bright rays of alate summer sun knocked on the tardy lids and demanded recognition.
Was it really time to get up?
If only the wasted hours of the evening past might be tucked on to theshortened time! Most things might be lengthened that way.
But, one after the other, the girls were at last awake, and so, quickerand quicker, sped the time until horns were sounding from garage andstable and even from the roadway.
"There come the Cheltons!" called Duncan as he saw Jack's car. ThenWalter's with Ed rounded the gravel driveway.
From that moment, until car after car was upon the roads ofBreakwater, it was a question which made the most noise, the girlstalking or the boys blowing signals on the auto horns. Hazel had comewith Jack, as Paul was scarcely able for the excitement, so that, afterall, the motor girls were all in the run.
What a parade!
Of course, Cora, being captain, had to lead, and from the floral foldsof the Whirlwind floated the club flag in the newly adopted colors, redand white, with the gold letters, M. G. C. (Motor Girls' Club),plainly discernible in the changing sunlight.
Every one in Breakwater had heard that there was to be an amateur motorshow, but few expected it to turn out into such a fine procession.
The sound of the "calliope" was truly ludicrous. To this was soonadded all sorts of noises that only street urchins know how to developspontaneously.
Nor were the young people of Breakwater to be left out of the sport,for numbers of them possessing automobiles, fell into line, after thedecorated cars, until the entire little summer place was agog with suchexcitement as the extreme originality of the visiting colonists usuallyaffords.
Street after street was paraded through, auto after auto wheeled along,horns tooting, whistles screeching, boys shouting, girls cheering,until one hour of this strenuous frolic seemed enough to satisfy motorgirls and motor boys; and the party went to the Beacon for luncheonprecisely at noon, leaving Tom to finish the honors by stripping thecars of their trappings and making them ready for a homeward trip.
Cora, however, was persuaded to leave her machine decorated, as theflowers made a pretty picture, and the return home, after thethree-days' trip, seemed more auspicious when thus heralded.
Reluctantly the adieux were made--Mrs. Bennet had been so hospitable,and the boys such good company.
Duncan found an opportunity of making Clip more intimately acquaintedwith his mother, for she was a woman glad to be the friend of her boy'sfriends, and willing to take considerable trouble to show the manylittle social preferences.
Cora insisted on the festivities breaking up on the scheduled time, andso did Clip. Cora wanted to get to the antique shop, and Clip wantedto get back to Chelton. So after a delay, impossible to avoid wherethere were so many boys and so many girls, each and all wantingsomething to say, some question to ask, or some message to deliver, theparty finally started off on the return trip of the first regular tourof the Motor Girls' Club.