"You are all--lovely," she declared, "and I always like blue eyes!"
Mrs. Salvey added her felicitations to those of her little daughter.
"This has indeed been a most enjoyable visit," she said, "and I hope you will all try to keep your strange promise. I believe where one is so serious as is Wren something good is sure to result. If we could find that table--"
"Perhaps you will," said Cora pleasantly. "We are about to start on a long trip. We will make numbers of stops, and I a.s.sure you we will never forget to look for the table. I am sure it will give us a very pleasant duty to keep our eyes open."
"Indeed, it will," declared Cecilia warmly. "I only hope I shall be the lucky one--for I feel a sort of premonition that some one in this party really will be the means of bringing little Wren the good news.
I have a mental picture of the table. I shall know it instantly."
"It would be very easy to recognize it," said Mrs. Salvey, opening the door as her visitors filed out. "The inlaid anchors are most conspicuous on the leaves."
Outside Cecilia renewed her antics. "Stick a hatpin in me--somebody do!" she exclaimed. "But not yours, Ray. I never could stand for that college, even in a stick."
Ray smiled and hurried into her car. The fair chauffeurs cranked up quickly, for it was almost dusk, and there was considerable road to cover between the place and Chelton.
"We must make speed now," called Bess. "I have a dinner date, be it known."
"I"m in a hurry, too," shouted Maud. "I have an engagement to be tried on--my new auto cloak. I have to have that on time."
The machines were speeding along merrily. It was pleasant after the rain, and the twilight lent enchantment to the delights of motoring.
"Why do you suppose Hazel was so anxious about Paul?" Bess asked Belle.
"She could talk of nothing else, even when we were at the cottage."
"Well," replied the prudent Belle, "Hazel knows. There must be some danger or she would not talk of it. Perhaps Paul has had some warning."
CHAPTER VI
THE HOLD-UP
Dashing over the country roads, the motor girls sent their machines ahead at fast speed, unwilling to stop to light up, and anxious to make the town before the twilight faded into nightfall.
Suddenly Cora, who was in the lead, grabbed the emergency brake and quickly shut off the power.
"What"s that?" she asked. "Something straight ahead. Don"t you see it, Hazel?"
Hazel stood up and peered into the gathering darkness.
"Yes; it looks like an auto. Perhaps some one got disabled, and had to leave the machine," she replied.
"Perhaps," returned Cora, going along carefully.
"It is an auto," declared Hazel presently, as they were almost upon the object in the roadway.
"The auto stage!" exclaimed Cora. "Don"t be frightened, Hazel," she hurried to say. "Paul is not in it. He must have gone on with the mail."
Hazel sank down in the cushions and covered her eyes. Somehow she could not bear to look at the deserted auto stage.
The other girls were coming along cautiously--they saw that something was the matter.
The standing machine was directly in the road; it instantly struck Cora that this was strange. Who could have been so careless as to leave an unlighted auto in the roadway, and night coming on?
She turned her wheel to guide the Whirlwind to one side, and then stopped. Bess was next, and she shut off the power from the Flyaway.
"What is it?" asked Bess anxiously. Belle did not venture to leave the machine, but Hazel had bounded out of the Whirlwind almost before Cora had time to stop it.
"Oh," exclaimed Hazel, "there are Paul"s gloves. Where can he be?"
"Perhaps playing a trick on us," suggested Cora, although she had little faith in the possibility. "I am sure he would not go far off and leave this expensive machine here."
By this time all the other girls had reached the spot, and were now deliberating upon the abandoned auto. Suddenly a call--shrill and distinct--startled them.
"That"s Paul!" shrieked Hazel, turning instantly and dashing off in the direction from which the voice had come. Cora, Bess, Maud and Cecilia followed her. Over the wet fields, through briars and underbrush the girls ran, while the call was repeated; this time there being no possibility of mistake--it was Paul shouting.
Breathless, the girls hurried on. With a sister"s instinct Hazel never stumbled, but seemed to get over every obstacle like some wood sprite called to duty.
"Oh, I"m all right, girls! Take your time!" came the voice in the woods.
"All right!" repeated Hazel in uncertain tones.
"Oh, look!" shrieked Cecilia. "Didn"t I tell you it was a joke? Look!"
What a sight! There, sitting on something like a stool, with a big cotton umbrella opened over his head, his eyes blinded with something dark, and his hands and feet made secure, was Paul Hastings, the chauffeur of the auto stage.
"Whatever does this means?" asked Cora, hurrying to Hazel, who was now madly s.n.a.t.c.hing the black silk handkerchief from her brother"s eyes.
"A prisoner of war," replied Paul rather unsteadily. "Glad you came, girls--there, sis, in my back pocket, you will find a knife. Just cut those carpet rags off my feet and hands."
Cecilia found the pocket knife, and, more quickly than any boy might have done it, she severed the bonds, and Paul stretched out--free.
"Well," he exclaimed, "this is about the limit!"
"Did the boys do it?" asked Cora.
"Boys! Not a bit of it," replied Paul. "It was a regular hold-up.
And the mail! I must get that, if they have left it on the road. Did you see the car? Is it all right?"
"It appeared to be," said Cora. "It was the car that brought us to a standstill. It"s in the middle of the road."
Paul shook himself as if expecting to find some damage to limb or muscle. Then he turned toward the open path.
"Tell us about it," demanded Cecilia. "Wasn"t it a joke?"
"Joke!" he reiterated. "Well, I should say not! Would you call it a joke to have two masked men jump in front of a running car, and flash something shiny? Then to have them climb in, cover my eyes and tell me I would be all right, and not to worry!"