"That's rather odd--that Mary and Ida should get so chummy," murmured Cora. "Sid must have introduced them to each other:" A moment later Ida looked over, and seeing Cora watching her, she quickly turned away and walked over to where Ed was locking up his toolbox. She placed her hand on the seat of his small auto and began talking to him. "I hear you are going into business," Cora heard Ida say. "Well, not exactly business," replied Ed. "I'm going to have some interest in the bank at New City." "Oh, yes. I heard about it." "Say, Ed, have you all that--" began Jack, and then he stopped quickly. He had been on the point of asking Ed if he had with him the twenty thousand dollars in cash and negotiable securities, but he quickly reflected that such a question was not a proper one to ask on a public road. "Got what?" inquired Ed with a laugh, but at the same time Cora saw him frown slightly at her brother. "I meant to say, have you any of those fish with you that we caught last time?" asked Jack, laughing rather uneasily. "Yes, I have them," replied Ed, which was his way of replying to Jack's implied question. "Going over to New City?" asked Sid, coming around from an inspection of the broken radiator. "Yes; I've some business over there, and as it's getting late I'll have to hurry. I'll bid you all good-by. Hope you get safely home." Ed jumped into his car, which he had quickly cranked up, and called a general farewell. "So long," answered Jack. "Come on," called Walter, as Ed's car puffed out of sight. "We'll have a load to pull now, Cora." "Perhaps I had better get in with Jack and Bess," remarked Belle. "We can manage it--if we squeeze some." Then she blushed, and everybody laughed. "The more the merrier," replied Jack. "I think it will be a good idea, though. We'll get home quicker than Cora and her tow will." Belle climbed into the Get There. This left Cora alone with Walter in the big car. Ida and Sid stood on the ground, apparently waiting for an invitation to get in somewhere. "I'll have to steer my car," said Sid. "You had better get in Cora's machine, Ida, for it's no fun riding in a towed auto." "Yes, do come in here," said Cora quickly, but Ida hung back and looked miserably unhappy. "Come on," and Walter added his invitation. "I'm going to be the 'shuffler,' and I may as well have something worth while to 'shuffle' while I'm at it." Ida smiled at this. It was evident that she could not resist after this appeal--especially as it came from Walter, who found much favor in her eyes. Ida climbed into the big car nimbly enough, and sat on the thick cushions in the roomy tonneau beside Mary. "I guess she'd rather be in front," remarked Bess in a whisper to Belle, but she took care that Jack should not hear. Walter started Cora's car off, and Sid's followed, with himself at the wheel, looking very glum. Jack brought up in the rear with the pretty twins.