“I say, let’s drive along the River Road as far as Dobb’s Ferry, and then turn off to this road and venture on any country road we find, that has old-fashioned houses which look as if they were built in 1776.”
“That sounds thrilling!” laughed Eleanor.
Her companions refused to smile this time, so she sat grinning at Nancy, as if waiting to attack her again.
“I think that plan will answer as well as anything Nolla has proposed, don’t you?” asked Nancy.
“Yes, we’ll try your scheme out, Nan. But you’ll have to be the guide through the country, as we haven’t the least idea of the lay of the land,” said Dodo.
“We’ll succeed splendidly, as long as we have this map,” promised Nancy.
The girls pictured many rare treasures added to their collection after this proposed trip, and when it was time for Ruth to go home, each girl had chosen rare and wonderful objects to be found in these imaginary Colonial home-steads they expected to visit on the morrow.
Classes had to be attended to before excursions could be enjoyed and then it was lunch-time; but after that they finally started on this trip.
Mrs. Fabian was out with Mrs. Ashby, so the girls met no one who would question them, when they were ready to leave. Ruth and Dodo called at the Fabians and they all went to the large garage where Mr. Dalken kept his automobiles; and the man, having had instructions to give the car to these young friends of the owner, whenever they wanted it, said nothing but backed the car out to the street for them.
The five girls drove away in high spirits, for they were eager to harvest all the marvelous antiques they had ever read or heard of, that might be scattered throughout the country-sides wherever General Washington had made a camp for his army.