“Perhaps we had better go on,” judged Cora. “The boys will bring us back in the car, and if we should miss them, we’ll hire a rig of some kind to get home in.”
“I guess Bess will need it more than any of the rest of us,” said Belle.
“I never ran so fast in my life,” answered Bess. “If exercise is all that is needed for reducing, I ought to have lost pounds,” and she smiled, although the smile was tremulous.
They were lucky to find the boys still waiting at the garage, and the surprise of the latter at their appearance was only equalled by their consternation at the danger Belle had run.
“You girls need a guardian,” said Jack severely, “and Walter and I elect ourselves unanimously for that position.”
“It’s a mighty hard job,” sighed Walter. “Our hair will be gray before our time.”
“Don’t tell Aunt Betty about this adventure,” warned Jack. “She must be on the verge of nervous prostration already, and this would just about cap the climax.”
They made the purchases for which Cora had come, and drove rapidly back to Kill Kare.
They found that Paul had returned some time before.
“Did you find out anything?” asked Cora eagerly, as she stepped from the car.