“Not at all,” Luke hastened to assure her. “We’ll go back just as soon as I can round up the others.”
“You are very good,” murmured Ruth, with a grateful look at him, and she did not too quickly draw away her hand when Luke stretched his fingers over hers.
“Oh, say! What’s the idea? Going back so soon!” expostulated Neale, when he and Agnes were signaled to, and came rowing up to the boat dock. “Why, the day isn’t half gone!”
“Ruth thinks we had better get back, and so do I,” said Luke quietly. “It looks as though we might have a storm,” he went on, “and you know the car wasn’t exactly on its best behavior on the way out, old man.”
“Oh, I worked the crankiness out of her,” declared Neale. But when he saw that Ruth was really in earnest about going back he made no further protest. Nor did Hal nor Nalbro.
Contrary to Luke’s partial prediction, the car behaved beautifully, and they were soon on their homeward trip. But the other remark of the collegian—to the effect that a storm was brewing—seemed likely to be borne out. In the west black clouds were gathering.
“We’ll be home before it breaks,” declared Neale, and he stepped on the accelerator.
“I hope so,” murmured Ruth. “Tess and Dot are so careless, and I ought to be on hand if there is a heavy storm.”
They sped along right merrily, perhaps a little more subdued than on the outgoing trip, for, after all, anticipation is a bit more romantic than realization in nearly every case. But they had had a pleasant day.
A few drops of rain were falling as Neale drove the automobile into the yard of Corner House, and the girls hastened up on the porch as he continued on to the garage.