“I suppose so. But it will bring us in pretty late.”
“No help for it. What is to be–has to be. Cora will worry–she has that habit lately.”
“Naturally. Well, maybe we can get to a telephone somewhere, and let them know.”
“You could do that!” exclaimed the girl, impulsively. “I know what it is to worry. I saw a telephone not more than a mile back. I mean,” she explained with a smile, “I saw a place where there was a telephone pay station sign. It was in a little country store, where I stopped to–to—”
She hesitated and her voice faltered.
“Look here!” exclaimed Jack. “Perhaps we can help you! Are you going anywhere that we can give you a lift? We’re bound to be late anyhow, and a little more time won’t matter. You see my sister and some friends–other girls and boys–are out on a trip. We are going to Sandy Point Cove, and are taking it easy on the way. My machine developed tire trouble a while ago–quite a while it is now,” he said ruefully, “and the others went on. I thought I could get up to them, but I took the wrong road and–well, here we are. Now if we can give you a ride, why, we’ll be glad to. Ed can sit on the run-board, and you—”
“Oh, I couldn’t trouble you!” the girl exclaimed. “I–I am going—”
She stopped rather abruptly and Jack and Ed each confessed to the other, later, that they were mortally afraid she was going to cry.
“And if she had,” said Jack, “I’d have been up in the air for fair!”
“Same here!” admitted Ed.