"How goes the battle, Laura?" asked Lance Darby. "Have you learned your part yet?"
"I thought I had," sighed Laura. "But when I come to take cues and try to remember the business of the piece, I forget my lines."
"This being leading lady is pretty tough on Mother Wit," laughed Chet.
"Oh, my!" exclaimed Bobby Hargrew suddenly. "Here comes Pretty Sweet in his car. Why! he's got Lil with him. I thought that was all over."
They gaily hailed the driver of the automobile and his companion as the vehicle passed. Short and Long, with gloomy face, watched the car out of sight.
"Well," he growled, "he's got nonskid-chains on his wheels to-day, all right."
"Chains on his wheels, Billy?" asked Bobby. "What do you mean? Doesn't he always have them on in winter?"
"Humph! He forgot 'em once, anyway."
"Hey, Billy!" exclaimed Chet Belding, "you are skidding yourself, aren't you?"
"Aw----"