"I'll take you out again when the car is repaired," said Ruth.
"Not when I'm awake you won't."
"You say you came home on the rims?" wondered Barbara. "I should have thought it would have crushed them. Yours is a heavy car, Ruth."
"It would have crushed them, only the rims didn't touch the ground till we got in the drive here," observed Thomas wisely, whereat the girls laughed merrily.
Ruth started to go down and put on her storm curtains. Bab ran after her to assist.
"Oh!" cried Barbara, as an icy blast smote her in the face the moment she stepped out into the open.
"You had better run back and put something over your head," advised Ruth.
For answer, Barbara pulled out her handkerchief, binding this over her head. The two girls, after no little effort, succeeded in putting the curtains up, though the wind made their task doubly difficult. Finishing, they ran into the house with benumbed fingers and cheeks aflame. They rushed to the nearest fireplace, to which they pressed closely until the odor of scorching cloth warned them to beware. Olive and Grace had come downstairs, for dinner was on the table. A tray had been taken up to Mollie, but she did not care to eat, and had soon after fallen into a restful doze.
"You haven't told us what you found in that great, deep hole," urged Olive, after they had been seated for some little time.
"Oh, I forgot," answered Barbara. "Everything has been moving so rapidly that I haven't had time even to think. I found—I mean Mr. Stevens found something. But I am afraid it doesn't help us much."