Cora in her powerful car, and the twins in their new one, both heading for the railroad station, though the train was not due yet for nearly half an hour, and the run would not take more than ten minutes.
"I wonder if Walter will stay on for a few days?" asked Belle of Bess, who was steering.
"I should think so--yes. He"ll probably want to see how Jack stands the trip. Poor Jack!"
"Isn"t it too bad?"
"Yes, and that reminds me. I wonder if he couldn"t--"
"Look out, for that dog!" fairly screamed Bess, as one rushed barking from a house yard. It was only instinctive screaming on the part of Bess, for it was she herself who "looked-out," to the extent of steering to one side, and so sharply that Belle gasped. And, even at that, the dog was struck a glancing blow by the wheel and with barks changed to yelps of pain, ran, retreating into the yard whence he had come, limping on three feet.
"Serves him right--for trying to bite a hole in our tires," murmured Bess, with a show of indignation.
A slatternly woman, who had come to the door of the tumble-down house at the sound of the dog"s yelps, poured out a volume of vituperation at the girls, most of it, fortunately, being lost in the chugging of the motor.
Three or four other curs came out from various hiding places to commiserate with their fellow, and the girls left behind them a weird canine chorus.
"Curious, isn"t it?" observed Belle, "that the poorer the people seem, the more dogs they keep."
"What were we talking of?"
"Perhaps misery loves company," quoted Bess.
"Jack?" suggested her sister.
"No, Walter," corrected the other, and they laughed.
"What"s the joke?" asked Cora, who had slowed up her car to await the on-coming of her chums. "Did you try to see how near you could miss a dog?"
"Something like that, yes," answered Bess, as she related the occurrence.
There was a period of rather tedious waiting at the station, before a whistle was heard, announcing the approach of some train.
"There it is!" cried Cora, as she jumped from her car to go to the platform.
It was only a freight engine, and the girls were disappointed. But, a few minutes later, the express sounded its blast, and, amid a whirl of dust, and a nerve-racking screech of brakes, drew into the depot.
"There"s Jack!" cried Bess, grasping Cora"s shoulder, and directing her gaze to a certain Pullman platform.
"And Walter"s right behind him!" added Belle. "Why, he isn"t carrying Jack!"
"You goose! Jack isn"t as ill as all that!" laughed Cora, a bit hysterically. "Oh, Jack!" she called, waving her handkerchief.
"And there"s Harry Ward!" murmured Belle.
"I didn"t know he was coming, and, instinctively, her hands went to her hair. For Harry, whom Belle had met during the summer, had paid rather marked attention to her--marked even for a summer acquaintance.
"h.e.l.lo, Sis!" greeted Jack, as he came slowly forward--and in his very slowness Cora read the story of his illness, slight though it was. "It was awfully good of you to come down," he added, as he brushed her cheek in a strictly brotherly kiss.
"My! Look at the welcoming delegation!" scoffed Walter. "I say, fellows, are there any cinders on my necktie?" and he pretended to be very much exercised.
"Oh, it"s a sight!" mocked Belle. "Isn"t it, girls? How are you, Jack?" she asked, more warmly, as she shook hands. "Oh! Don"t you dare--not on this platform!" she cried, as Jack leaned forward, with the evident intention of repeating his oscillatory greeting to Cora.
"All right. Come on around back, I"d just as soon," offered Jack, with something of his old, joking manner. "They can"t see us there."
"I guess you know Harry--all of you--don"t you?" put in Walter.
"Oh, yes, forgetting my manners, as usual," laughed Jack, but there was little of mirth in the sound. "Harry, the girls--the girls--Harry. Pleased to meet you--and all that. Come on, Cora. I guess I"m--tired."
His eyes showed it. Poor Jack was not at all himself.
"But how did it happen--what"s the matter?" asked Cora. "Were you suddenly stricken?"
"About like that--yes," admitted Jack. "Trying to do too much, the doc said. I oughtn"t to have made an effort for the double literature. Thought I"d save a term on it. But that, and training too hard, did me up. It"s a shame, too, for we have a peach of an eleven!"
"I know, Jack, it is too bad," said Cora, sympathetically.
"Oh, it isn"t that I"m actually a non-combatant, Sis, but I"ve lost my nerve, and what I have left is frayed to a frazzle. I"ve just got to do nothing but look handsome for the next three months."
"It"s a good time to look that way," ventured Bess.
"Look how?" asked Jack.
"Handsome. Tell me about the pretty stranger, Cora."
"What"s that?" cried Walter, crowding up. "Handsome stranger?
Remember, boys, I saw her first!"
"She means the lace seller," said Belle, languidly.
"Tell you later," Cora promised.
CHAPTER V
INEZ
They were at the autos, standing near the edge of the depot platform now. The porter had set down the grips of the boys, and had departed with that touching of the cap, and the expansive smile, which betokens a fifty-cent tip. They do not touch the cap for a quarter any more.
"How"ll we piece out?" asked Jack, and his tone was listless. "Who goes with whom?"
His voice was so different from his usual joking, teasing, snapping tones that Cora looked at him again. Yes, her brother was certainly ill, though outwardly it showed only in a thinness of the bronzed cheeks, and a dull, sunken look in the eyes. A desperately tired look, which comes only from mental weariness.
"You"d better ride with me, Jack," his sister said. "The car has more room."
"Walter can come with us," suggested Jack. "I"ve been sort of leaning on him in the train, and it eases me. So if--"