Margaret Penrose

“ Out on the driveway a triumphant "honk-honk!" drew her attention.
"I hope that's—" she began, but she did not finish, for she saw the Robinson twins in a shining, new car, Bess at the wheel, as though she had been running one for months, and the sisters both attired in their becoming motoring costumes.
"Come on!" cried Bess as Cora leaned out of the window. "Get your car and we'll take a spin! Isn't ours a beauty?" ”

“ From this point there was quite a steep slant to the level highway, which the railroad crossed at grade, and approached on a curve.
There was a long-drawn, shrill whistle.
"What's that?" exclaimed Elizabeth.
"The train!" cried Isabel. "Oh, the train! Cora, the train is coming!"
"I hear it," spoke Cora calmly, but she pressed her foot down harder on the brake pedal, and tried to use the compression of the cylinders as a retarding force, as Paul had showed her.
"Can't you slow up?" pleaded Elizabeth. There was a note of alarm in her voice. ”

“ Why do you go off riding with a common mechanic?"
"Mr. Hastings is a gentleman!" she flared back at him, like an explosion of one of the cylinders of her car. "He would never dream of acting as you are now, even if he is a common mechanic."
"No?"
His tone was tantalizing.
"Please turn this corner," she said icily. "I want to get back to the bank building."
"Oh, do you? Well, I'm in no hurry to. I can't seem to do any business there, or in the automobile place," and he flashed a meaning look at the girl. "Now we'll see, Miss Cora, who's going to have their own way. I'm driving this car." ”

“ That's a beauty!" exclaimed Jack. "A new one, too! Look, Ed! If that isn't an engagement ring I'll eat my war club! Now, what young lady, do you suppose, could have used our grounds, our hospitality and eaten of our swell supper with the malicious aforethought of becoming pledged to unite herself in the holy bonds of matrimony? Who could have done it? And then to lose the guarantee that goes with it! It's past belief!"
"It certainly is new," said Ed, critically examining the ring with its sparkling stone. ”

“ Down the turnpike she steered the big machine, confident in her ability to manage it. There were few autos out, and the highway was almost deserted. Her pretty Shaker hood, which had lately come home from Madam Julia's, was unbound, and the loose, chiffon strings flew out in the wind like long-legged birds. Turning into a broad avenue, Cora realized that she was on the road leading to the garage where she had met Paul Hastings, the handsome chauffeur who had given her such valuable information about her car. ”

“ The Whirlwind was now close to Sid's car. He heard it coming and looked around. Then he caught the steering wheel from Ida, leaning over to reach it.
"Foul!" shouted Walter. "That's not allowed!"
"Never mind!" panted Cora. "I'm not afraid to let him steer. I can beat him!"
Jack stood up in his machine. He was angry, and showed it in his face.
"Stop, sis," he called to Cora. "The race is yours. Don't pass him."
"She can't!" retorted Sid.
"Oh, I'm afraid!" gasped Bess, beside Jack. "He's steering right in front of her to cut her off. He won't turn out." ”

“ I'd be Ida myself if I was brought up as she's been, though I suppose her mother means all right. It's curious what queer manners some people have. But I dare say we all have our own faults."
"And, with all of them, I hope the girls love us still—even Ida," added Jack quickly.
"Now, those others—the beautiful Robinson twins," pursued Ed.
"Oh, yes. Well, Bess and Belle are certainly the real thing in girls—right up to the minute. Besides, they have an immensely rich papa. You've heard of him—Perry Robinson, the railroad king?"
"Oh, yes. And their mother, if one may be permitted to ask?" ”

“ Bess assured her; "but I saw you out in your car with her this morning. Isn't she nice."
"Very. But being nice is not her strongest point. She is—brainy."
"O-h-h-h!" sighed Bess. "Then let's not take her up. Belle has brains enough for one town."
"But Hazel isn't that kind. Isn't that a pretty name?" demanded Cora quickly. "She has a different sort of brains. She is a student of nature—biology and evolution, to be exact."
"Perhaps she could tell what makes Bess so—so fat," suggested Belle with marked sarcasm.
"Or what makes you so thin," retaliated Bess. ”

“ Kimball was preparing for a little trip, and though very busy she warmly greeted her son's friends, and entertained them, as she knew so well how to.
"You young folks are so taken up with your motors," she said as she took her place at the head of the table, "that we older and less fortunate people scarcely get a chance to speak to you. Cora is so enthusiastic over her car and its swift motion that our maid declares she will soon turn into a bird and fly."
"A dove," whispered Walter, just loud enough to be heard by every one, but softly enough to disguise the platitude. ”

“ Cora was hidden from the two by a screen of bushes, and on the dirt of the road, with her car running at low speed, they had not heard her.
Lem laid his hand on Ida's wrist.
"Let me alone!" she screamed. "Help! help!"
Cora saw a stout stick lying on the ground. With hardly a thought of what she was doing she caught it up and stepped forward.
"There's nobody here to help you," said Lem with a brutal chuckle.
"Yes, there is!" cried Cora in ringing tones. "Let go of her arm, Lem Gildy, or I'll strike you with this!" and the girl raised the stick over the rascal's head. ”

“ My interest in sports has rather kept me away from society. That accounts for me not being better acquainted in Chelton, or perhaps—"
"Hello there!" came a hail from the road.
"Jack and Walter!" exclaimed Cora, as at that moment another machine came along and drew up alongside the fence which separated the highway from the meadow. "Now, won't they laugh at us!"
"Well, I declare!" exclaimed the mud-bespattered young fellow. "If that isn't Jack! And Walter Pennington is with him!"
"What's up?" called Jack, leaping from the car and running across the meadow, after a quick climb over the fence. ”

“ But a girl may look at a chauffeur, I suppose, just as a cat may gaze at a crowned monarch."
"Oh, certainly," conceded Cora. "So you are really going out for a spin? I'll get ready and we'll go together: I was just wondering what I could do until dinner-time. Jack is out with some friends, and I was just plain lonesome."
"Put on your new costume," directed Belle. "We want people to look at us. Isn't it perfectly splendid to have a regular set of cars?"
"Yes. We ought to get up an auto show," agreed Cora as she hastened off to make ready for her ride. ”

“ Foster hadn't—" began Cora.
"Been here first," interrupted Jack. "That's all very well, sis. But I told you so! A brand-new, spick-and-span car like this! And to run it into a muddy ditch!"
"Indeed!" exclaimed Elizabeth. "We were almost killed! Cora just saved our lives!"
"Mercy me!" cried Walter, who had left the car and joined Jack. "Now, Cora," he added mockingly, "when you start out to save lives, why don't you give a fellow the tip? There's nothing I do so love as to see lives saved—especially nice young ladies," and he made a low bow. ”

“ Ida seemed very much interested in the distant landscape.
"The roads are awfully dry," she murmured.
"And so am I," added Elizabeth as she followed her sister and Cora into the store. Walter and Jack trailed in after them, while Ed stayed for a moment outside with Ida and Sid. The latter did not introduce Ed to Ida. It was a habit Sid had, of never presenting his young men chums to his "girl," unless he could not avoid it. Ida, perhaps, knew this, and she strolled to the other end of the porch. ”

“ They were not rewarded by the welcome sight of a brown leather wallet, bulging with riches.
"It's no use," said Jack.
"Oh, let's try a little longer," begged Cora.
"Well, if he dropped it before he got here, or after he left, we might as well make the entire trip to New City, and then reverse and go to Chelton," went on Jack. "And we can't look over every inch of all the distance."
"We can drive along slowly," was Cora's idea. "The wallet is so large that it could easily be seen. It's too bad we haven't Sid and Ida along to help hunt for it. ”

“ They had not yet secured their motor "togs," and regulation hats were so difficult to manage.
"Oh, isn't this glorious!" cried Isabel.
"Every one is looking at us," announced Elizabeth.
"Now I wonder which road Jack and Walter took?" said Cora as she swung the car around a curve in good style. "I heard Jack say he was going for some fishing-tackle."
"Perhaps they went to Arden," ventured Isabel.
"Maybe. Well, we'll take a nice little spin down the turnpike," decided Cora as she threw in the high gear, the cogs grinding on each other rather alarmingly. ”

“ It knows my hand."
"I shouldn't wonder," agreed the young, man. "I do believe that motor-cars can almost be made to think—under the guidance of very gentle but sure hands."
Paul looked very handsome, Cora thought. He was the type she always admired—a youth with a bronze complexion—a straight, athletic figure, almost classic, Cora decided. He cranked up for her, re-entered the car, and they rolled from the garage. Once out on the country road Cora threw in the high gear and fed the gasolene with a judicious hand, controlling the spark admirably.
"A fine machine!" ”

“ We call ourselves that because we used to be up at all hours. Some of the boys play in Jack's mandolin club."
"I hope we meet them!" exclaimed Bess frankly. "I'm dying for some music."
"Let me sing and save your life," proposed Walter.
"With pleasure," answered Bess, making a little gesture of surprise.
"But I didn't know you sang."
"Only to save life," replied Waiter. "But," he added, "if I'm not mistaken that sounds like Jack's car."
"It is," declared Cora, who was getting to be an expert on the puffing sounds of autos. "There he is!" she exclaimed as Jack's runabout came in sight. ”

“ Suddenly they both heard the distant whistle of the train. "There she is!" cried Paul; and a little later they caught sight of the cars, flying over the track.
"We're too late," said Paul.
"Not yet," answered Cora. "We can take a shorter route, even if they can go faster than we can."
She was already running on third speed, and the motor was taking about all the gasolene it could use. She adjusted the spark to give the best service, and now, as an additional means of inducing speed, she cut out the muffler. The explosions of the motor played a tattoo on the dusty road. ”

“ Three clutch pedals were released, and the three cars moved forward. There was a grinding of gears, as Ida threw in a higher speed. Her hand and ear were not quite true, but to the surprise of the others her car darted ahead. It was speedier than had been thought.
It was a beautifully clear road, and the machines were now fairly flying along it. Bess clung desperately to the wooden rim of the steering wheel of Jack's car.
"Keep her straight," he cautioned. "Don't work so hard at it. An auto is like a horse—a light, firm touch is what it needs." ”

“ CHAPTER XIX A STRANGE DISCOVERY Adonis and Rosebud sat for a while at the side of the miniature lake, where the pretty little lights dimpled in the placid waters, and where now a score of merrymakers were clamoring for a ride in the tiny launch which Jack Kimball and his chums, Ed and Walter, had rigged up, in order to add picturesqueness to the fete.
"Don't you want to take a sail?" ”

“ There is only one person who will get the reward, and she is—"
He paused and walked over until he stood in front of Ida, who sat with bowed head.
"Miss Giles, it is due to you, more than to any, one, that this mystery is solved," he said: "Will you please accept the reward?" and he took some bills off the roll Sid had handed him.
"I couldn't oh, I couldn't!" she sobbed.
Ed looked embarrassed. Every one was under a strain. Jack went to the safe and took out the diamond ring.
"I guess that comes back to you," he said to Sid, "as long as you've made up to Ed the whole sum." ”

“ On and on rushed the car. There was but five minutes left, and the railroad; station was very close to the building where the automobile concern was located. Sid's chances were very good—Paul's not quite so much so.
"We'll have to be a little careful now," Paul reminded her as they swung around a curve. "We'll have to go slow through the city."
"Yes, but I have been counting on that. We still have a few minutes. Oh, isn't it a pity that a motor isn't like a horse? When you get a machine going just so fast it can't go any faster, but a horse can always be depended on for a spurt." ”

“ Cora's precautions were useless.
She nodded coldly. She was offended by her companion's impertinent tone. She started to turn off the power and apply the brake. She would not ride with him.
"Oh, you needn't get mad," continued Sid quickly. "I did not mean to offend you, though if it had not been for you Paul would not have gotten here ahead of me. You're a plucky girl, as well as a pretty one." ”

“ The man is sharp, and one day he saw the numbers of one of the bank notes I had. He looked up the numbers which Ed gave the police, and it corresponded. Then he jumped to the conclusion that I had stolen the ten thousand dollars in cash, and the bonds. Nothing I could say about it being a joke could convince him. He began to bleed me for hush money, and I had to give it to him. Then I thought of a plan for getting him out of the way. I put him up to start Jack's car off, thinking he might be arrested for malicious mischief and put in jail, but I never dreamed you would be hurt, Jack. ”

“ Walter took the wheel of the Whirlwind, which Cora gladly relinquished to him, and soon had the car out of the ditch and upon the highway. The Streak, of course, could not move under its own power for more than a short distance, as the water had all leaked out of the radiator, and, there being none to cool the cylinders, to operate it was to invite disaster. Jack and Bess had alighted from the Get There. Jack was very angry.
"Nice way to race!" he exclaimed. "I've got a good mind to—do something to you, Sid Wilcox!" ”

“ Hazel is a fine girl, as I said before, and besides that—" Paul stopped abruptly.
"Oh, I'm going to meet Hazel," declared Cora warmly as Paul alighted from the car. "I'll invite her to my affair. I am going to wake up folks around here. Do you know, we all seem to be terribly depressed since that money was—lost."
"Yes, and I don't wonder at it. Twenty thousand dollars is a large sum. I'd call it a fortune. But, somehow, I feel sure that Mr. Foster will recover it. I wish I could help unravel the mystery. I would like to—for more reasons than one." ”