There was a screech of brakes as the automobile came almost to a standstill. Then surprisingly, it speeded up again. But not before Penny had caught a fleeting glimpse of the driver’s face.
“Well, of all things!” Rosanna exclaimed indignantly. “I call that a mean trick.”
“I believe he was afraid to stop,” Penny announced excitedly. “I think I recognized him. It was the same man who stole the ring from Bresham’s Department Store!”
“Are you sure?” Rosanna demanded incredulously.
“I couldn’t be absolutely certain, of course. He was traveling too fast for me to catch more than a passing glimpse of his face. But if he didn’t recognize us, why did he slow down and then speed up?”
“He did act suspiciously. But what can we do about it?”
“Nothing, I’m afraid. We may as well devote our energies to this wheel.”
Rosanna was more than eager to help but she had never even seen a tire changed and had no idea how to go about it. After a little annoying experimentation, Penny got the wheel in place and tightened the lugs.
“There, it’s done,” she said in relief, “but my dress is a mess. I’m afraid we’ll have to stop at the first garage and have the old wheel fixed, for I don’t carry another spare.”
A signpost at the next bend in the road advised them that Simpson’s Garage was located only six miles away. They made it in a few minutes. There was no town, only a post office, one general store, and the garage which obviously was a remodeled blacksmith shop.