"We—er—I—that is, we—I want to learn some points about my new car," she stammered. "It's a—"
"I understand," replied the handsome chap. "I will be very glad to show you. Just step this way, please," and, with a little bow, he motioned to them to follow him into the semi-dark machine shop back of the office.
CHAPTER II
THE DASH OF THE WHIRLWIND
When Jack Kimball called at the Robinson home that same evening, at precisely nine-thirty, he found three very much agitated young ladies. Bess, or, to be more exact, Elizabeth Robinson, the brown-haired, "plump" girl—she who was known as the "big" Robinson girl—was positively out of breath, while her twin sister, Isabel, usually called Belle, too slim to puff and too thin to "fluster," was fanning herself with a very dainty lace handkerchief.
Cora paced up and down the piazza, in the true athletic way of cooling off.
"Why the wherefore?" asked Jack, surprised at the excitement so plainly shown, in spite of the girls' attempts to hide it.
"Oh, just a race," replied Cora indifferently.
"Out in the dark?" 'persisted Jack.
"Only across the hill," went on Cora, while Bess giggled threateningly.