"Don"t worry," he answered, "you"ll get there."
"Now," he said to Lois, when they had changed places, "push that back; it"s the brake, and you want to release it. There, now put your foot on that; that feeds gas in the engine. No, do it gently," he said, as the car jerked forward.
Lois" face was set in firm determination, and she obeyed instructions without a word. After she had stalled the car several times, and Bob had gotten out to crank it, she finally started.
A motor van coming towards them made her almost run into a ditch. But Jim took the wheel in time.
"You know, you don"t have to climb trees and fences, Lo," Bob teased; "there"s really plenty of room on the road."
"Oh, but it looked as if it would run right into us!" she exclaimed, shuddering. "Suppose it had taken off one of our wheels?"
"Keep still, Bob," Jim directed. "Don"t talk to the chauffeur."
They drove on for a few miles more and were beginning to consider turning, when the car began to miss and make terrifying noises.
"What"s it doing?" Lois demanded. "Have I broken it?"
Jim laughed heartily. "No," he said, "change places with me. I"ll fix it."
But Pegasus refused to be fixed. It went on a little farther, and then stopped.
Jim and Bob got out. They opened the hood. "Nothing wrong here," Jim said. "I wonder what"s up!"
"I"ll spin it," Bob suggested. They worked for nearly fifteen minutes, but the car would not budge.
"I know I did something to it," Lois turned tearfully to Polly; "now we"ll never get home."
"Oh, yes we will; we can get some one to pull us, I guess," Polly comforted her. "Maybe there"s no more gasoline," she said to Bob.
The boys looked at each other and then burst out laughing. Jim investigated the tank and then took off his hat and bowed respectfully to Polly.
"You are quite right; there is no gas, and I"m a--well--I"m a very brilliant driver. Will you please tell me how you ever thought of it?"
Polly laughed. "Why, that"s what always happens to Uncle Roddy"s car when he goes out," she said. "He never remembers the gas. Sometimes he pulls the poor car to pieces before he thinks of it."
Jim felt comforted.
"Well, I guess I"ll go see what I can do about getting some. Bob, you stay here with the girls."
"Somebody has to call up Aunt Kate," Polly reminded them, "we won"t be home by four, and she"ll be worried."
"Then Bob"s got to do it," Jim said, decidedly. "I"ll never be able to face her after all my promises."
"All right!" Bob said. "I see a house down the road."
"Perhaps they"ll have some gas," Jim said, hopefully, as they started off.
But it was after seven before they finally got back to the hotel. Jim had had to walk miles before he could get a pail of gasoline, and then on the way back one of the tires had blown out.
Mrs. Farwell was waiting for them in the lobby. She looked thoroughly frightened.
"Children, where have you been?" she asked.
Bob explained.
"We couldn"t get here a second sooner," he concluded.
"I"m awfully sorry, Mrs. Farwell," Jim added, apologetically, "I never felt so ashamed in my life; but I really did start with plenty of gas, only the tank leaked," he finished ruefully.
Mrs. Farwell smiled her forgiveness.
"You"ll have to hurry through dinner, then go and dress," she said.
"Perhaps, after all, the girls aren"t so very tired."
Polly put her arm around her.
"Tired?" she said, happily, "why, Aunt Kate, I feel as if I could dance all night."
"So do I, mother darling," Lois insisted.
"Well, that"s very probably just what you will do," Mrs. Farwell answered with a resigned sigh.
Bob and Jim, after a very hasty dinner, hurried to their rooms to change their clothes, and were back before either of the girls were ready, for Mrs. Farwell had insisted upon an hour"s rest. When they did join the boys, they were looking their best. They had on the same yellow and green dresses that they had worn at f.a.n.n.y"s party.
Bob and Jim were secretly delighted. There is always a good-natured rivalry at a Junior Prom and they both felt that the girls" charming appearance gave them a decided advantage over the other men.
When they arrived at the Union the dance had already started, and the floor was crowded with people. Lois and Polly were so carried away by excitement that the whole evening pa.s.sed in a whirl of delight.
Mrs. Farwell had been right the day before when she had promised her that Bob would see that they had plenty of partners, for Jim and he brought up all their friends and introduced them.
As Polly said afterward, in answer to Betty"s questions.
"There were so many of them that I couldn"t begin to remember their names. I just called them all Mr. Er--"
"What was the hall like?" Betty had demanded of Lois.
"Mercy! I don"t remember," she said, "except that it had two big fireplaces and the most fascinating chandeliers made of deers" antlers."
Betty had been disgusted at this hazy description.
It was after two o"clock before they got back to the hotel, and they were both so sleepy that they could hardly thank Bob and Jim for their good time.
As the boys went back to their rooms, Jim said: "Bob, do you think the girls will ever forgive me for this afternoon?"
"Why, of course," Bob a.s.sured him. "They didn"t mind being late. Polly would rather motor than dance any day."
"H"m!" Jim replied, slowly, "but it happens to be Lois that I"m worrying about."