"Yes, but they have to be enjoyed away from home, or folks will make fun of you," added Ruth.
"Not any more, Ruth. When a five-cent bag of peanuts, these days, only contains ten nuts that lifts them out of the cheap class," laughed Hester.
"And makes them a luxury, eh?" added Judith.
By the time the peanuts were gone, Jim signaled the girls and they hurried back to the garage. It took but a moment for them to jump in and urge Jim to hurry after Verny's car, somewhere in the lead.
Mile after mile of beautiful woodland, with now and then a small town, but with many flourishing farms along the way, were reeled off rapidly as the machine sped along as if on wings. Finally they reached a crossroad where the signboard warned them: "All travel limited to eight miles per hour."
"Slow down, Jim, or you'll land us in a county jail," called Ruth.
"Then Mrs. Vernon must be in jail—'cause she ain't in sight along the road, and to get as far as this she had to speed," declared Jim.
"It's funny she wouldn't stop to find out what became of us, when we dropped so far behind," ventured Hester.
"They'll look us up at mealtime, never fear," laughed Anne. "We've got the hamper with us, you know."
The others laughed at this remark, but they had not gone much farther along the road before they spied the Vernon automobile waiting under a great oak tree. When the tardy car came up, both parties began to shout, some asking where the delinquents had been, and the unfortunates to demand why folks wouldn't look behind once in a while!