“You’re too ready to jump to conclusions,” rebuked Cora. “But now we’d better be hurrying along. It’s getting towards dark, and we’ll have all we can do to get to Aunt Margaret’s in time for dinner.”
“Dinner!” exclaimed Jack. “Where have I heard that word before? Lead me to it!”
“Do you think you can keep up with us in that car?” asked Cora wickedly. “If not, I’ll give you a tow.”
“Listen to her rubbing it in!” moaned Paul.
“It wasn’t enough to beat us,” complained Walter.
“I guess that fellow was right,” remarked Jack, “who said that Indians and women were alike. They both scalp the dead.”
CHAPTER V
A GROUP OF VAGABONDS
The two cars rolled along smartly, for the various happenings of the day had put the Motor Girls behind the schedule they had hoped to make. But despite their best efforts, dusk was settling down and the stars beginning to peep out when they drove up to the Kimball’s Aunt Margaret’s door.
She greeted them affectionately, and after they had washed off the dust of travel they were seated at the sumptuous meal she had had prepared in anticipation of their coming. After dinner was over, a number of young people in the neighborhood who had been invited to meet the tourists dropped in, and there was music and dancing. But Aunt Margaret’s watchfulness over her charges prevented this from being prolonged to an unseasonable hour, and by eleven o’clock all the tired travelers were sleeping the dreamless sleep of vigorous, healthy youth.
They needed a good sleep, for the longest lap of their journey still lay before them. And it was at an early hour the next morning that, after a hearty breakfast and cordial thanks and good-byes to their gracious hostess, they climbed into their cars and drove off.