"But what are we going to do with the automobiles after we reach Carpen Falls?" asked Dunston Porter. "You can't go any farther in an auto than that." "Isn't there some sort of garage at Carpen Falls?" questioned Ben, who was present. "Probably there is. Anyway, I know there is a livery stable there." "Then we could leave the machines there until we were ready to bring them back," replied Dave. "We'll see about this later," said Dave's father, with a shake of his head. Automobiling did not appeal to him quite as strongly as it did to his son and his brother. It was a beautiful afternoon, and Dave and Ben had arranged for a little run in the automobile, taking Laura and Jessie along. Dave ran the car, with Jessie on the seat beside him. Their course was out of Crumville, and then over the distant hills to a winding road which ran beside the river. "It seems so strange, Dave, to think you are not going back to Oak Hall this fall," remarked Jessie, when the automobile was bowling along over the smooth highway. "It does seem strange," was Dave's somewhat grave reply. "Do you know, sometimes I wish I were going back again." "Why?" "Well, if I had to do that I wouldn't have to bother about anything else just now, Jessie. As it is, I've got to make up my mind what I am going to do. One minute I think I want to go to college, and the next I have a notion of going into some sort of business." "What does your father say, Dave?" "He is leaving it entirely to me. He says if I want to go to college I can do so." "What would you like to do best of all?" "Oh, as for that, I'd like to travel, just as Uncle Dunston does. I'd like to see the world." "I suppose that would be nice, Dave. But still a person can't be traveling all the time," and Jessie's face clouded a trifle. "I shouldn't want to be traveling all the time, Jessie. Some day I'll want to settle down." He gave her an earnest look. "I thought that was all settled." "Settled? What?" And the girl gave him a quick look in return. "Why, that I was going to settle down some day, and that you were going to settle down with me." "Oh, indeed! That's the first I ever heard of it." "Oh, but you know, Jessie----" "Dave, do you know that Laura and Ben are sitting right behind us?" "Yes, but they are busy with their own talk." "Maybe you only think so." "All right. But it's settled; isn't it, Jessie?" "I don't know that anything is settled." Jessie was gazing straight ahead at the road. "How about that beautiful young lady you rescued from drowning?" "Oh, say! Please don't bring that up," pleaded Dave, hastily. "That was all some of Ben's nonsense." "But you did pull her out of the water; didn't you, Dave?" "What if I did? You wouldn't have me let her drown; would you?" "Oh, of course not. But still Ben said----" "Oh, there you go again! Didn't I tell you that was only some of Ben's nonsense? You mustn't believe a word he says." "Indeed! I always thought Ben was a very truthful boy."