The start had been made late in the afternoon. The day had been cloudy. There were even indications of rain, but the girls did not care. They were too well inured to the weather to be disturbed by lowering skies and threatening clouds. In the meantime Jane McCarthy was bowling along to the southward, throwing up a cloud of dust, having many narrow escapes from collisions with farmers' wagons and wandering stock. They had been traveling about two hours when the guardian directed their daring driver to turn to the left. The latter did so, thus heading the car to the eastward.
"I think I begin to understand," thought Harriet Burrell aloud.
"What ith it that you underthtand?" demanded Tommy, pricking up her ears. "You know where we are going, don't you?"
"I can make a close guess," replied Harriet, nodding brightly.
"Oh, tell uth, tell uth," begged Tommy.
Harriet shook her head.
"I couldn't think of it. Miss Elting wishes it to be a surprise to you."
"Well, won't it be jutht ath much of a thurprithe now ath it will be thome other time?" argued Grace Thompson.
"Perhaps Harriet just imagines she knows. I do not believe she knows any more about our destination than do the rest of our party," said the guardian. "But why worry about it? You will know when you get there."
Jane stopped the car, and, getting out, proceeded to put the curtains up on one side, Harriet and Hazel doing the same on the opposite side. The storm curtain, with its square of transparent isinglass, was next set in place to protect the driver from the front, the wind shield first having been turned down out of the way.