“But what in the world—?” began Alice impetuously; but she was waved to silence by a gesture from her aunt.
“One moment, Alice; I’m not finished. I want to repeat that I heard all this inadvertently, from two people who had no interest in you one way or the other, and who knew nothing of the conditions I had made regarding the receiving of help from men along the road. These tourists actually saw two young men—whom I now suppose to be Mr. McDaniel and Mr. Cryton—fixing the tires of the car that was stolen!”
“That’s a lie!” cried Florence, jumping from her chair, her eyes blazing with the anger which she could no longer control. Daisy, on the other hand, began to weep.
Marjorie and Ethel looked at each other in blank amazement wondering, for an instant, whether the accusation could possibly be true. Yet they wavered only a moment in doubt; one glance at the girls’ righteously angry expressions assured them of their innocence.
“But didn’t these young men offer to fix your tires?” persisted Miss Vaughn, shrewdly.
“Yes, of course they did; but we wouldn’t let them,” answered Florence. “I’ll admit we did hesitate for a second—Dais and I were pretty tired, you see—”
“Exactly!” interrupted Miss Vaughn triumphantly. “You see you have given yourselves away, Miss Evans! Of course Mr. Cryton and Mr. McDaniel would never have told—they were too chivalrous for that—but since other people saw you, it is fortunate that the thing came to my ears, before it was too late, and dishonesty was rewarded. Now I am perfectly willing to live up to my part in the bargain—”
“May I ask,” interrupted Mrs. Remington, “who your informers are? Are you sure that they are to be trusted?”
“My informers are Mr. Wallace and Mr. Hitchens, and they are to be trusted because they are absolutely disinterested parties.”
“And would you take their word ahead of that of Girl Scouts?” flashed Ethel.