Cautiously, Fol backed the touring car around the corner. It would spoil everything if Darry should see them now. Quickly Amy and Nell alighted, with Jessie lagging just a little behind them.
They were in time to see Darry’s cordial greeting of the strange girl who had given Amy the counterfeit bill. He was holding both her hands in his and she was smiling up at him trustingly.
Amy started forward, but Jessie caught her arm and pulled her back.
“Let’s get away!” she gasped. “I can’t stay here any longer! We—we shouldn’t have come!”
CHAPTER XVII
PAYMENT OF A DEBT
Grumblingly, Amy allowed Jessie to draw her away. Nell followed, and all climbed quickly into the car. In a moment they were off, burning up the road again in the direction of Forest Lodge.
Amy grumbled all the way back, but Jessie would hardly speak at all. She could not get the vision of Darry and that girl out of her mind. She wondered why it should hurt her so much to see his friendliness to some one else.
“You dragged me away before the last act,” Amy complained. “Don’t you know the best part was still to come—when we confronted the guilty man and maiden?”
“I didn’t want to confront any one,” Jessie returned, wearily. “And, besides, I don’t believe Darry is guilty of anything.”
“Well, we at least know he is guilty of friendship with a girl whose past, to say the least of it, is a trifle queer,” retorted Amy. “Darry will certainly hear my idea of his actions when he gets back.”