"Hush, Jack, dear," she said softly. "Some folks will hear you." "Well, I don't care if they do. It's fierce--the way people believe that you--and I--had a hand in that robbery." "Never mind," replied his sister. "Oh," she added quickly, "there are the Robinson girls outside," and she hurried down the bank steps. The two sisters were walking slowly along, and from a certain air about Bess it was evident that she had something important to tell Cora. "Any news of the--robbery?" Bess asked Jack. "Not that I know of," he answered rather gloomily. "The trouble is that so many of those who might be able to throw additional light on it are away. Sid has gone--no one seems to know where--Ida is away visiting, and we haven't been able to find that old farmer that got his team in the way of the race. Ed remembers passing him on the road, and he spoke to him, but even that wouldn't account for how the wallet got in Cora's car." "No," said Elizabeth with a sigh. "But where are you going, Cora?" "Around to Madam Julia's. I went in the bank to get grandmother's hundred-dollar bill broken, so I could pay for my things at madam's. I suppose they are done by this time. Won't you girls come with me?" "Yes," added Jack, "and speaking of hundred dollar bills, what do you suppose that bank teller did? He--" "Jack, dear," spoke Cora softly, and her brother subsided. "Do come," she urged the twins: "It will be such fun to see me try on my motor togs." "Wait until we tell you something!" burst out Belle. "We have--" "A surprise for you," interrupted Bess. "A brand-new--" started in Belle. "Motor car," finished Bess triumphantly. "That is, we're going to get it," added her sister. "Father has promised it to us;" supplemented Bess. "Oh, isn't that splendid!" exclaimed Cora. "I'm so glad! This is a surprise. Now we'll all be motor girls." "Yes," added Belle; "and mother said we could go this afternoon and select some motor things for ourselves at madam's. Isn't that just too sweet of her?" "Lovely!" cried Cora, giving the twins a little hug in turn. "Here, quit that in public. Want to make a fellow jealous?" demanded Jack. "Oh--you--" began Belle with an arch look at Cora's brother. "Now we're going to take a preliminary look at things with you, Cora," said Bess. "I'm just dying to get a certain bonnet that I saw in the window." "Toot-toot! Farewell!" cried Jack, as he puffed in imitation of an auto and turned up the street. "Do you know," began Cora as soon as her brother was safely out of sight, "speaking of that robbery, I have been thinking lately how strange it was that Ida, Mary and Sid should have been talking so seriously behind my car when I happened to look around and see them. Mary's face flushed, and Ida immediately walked away." "Is that so?" demanded Bess. "Yes, and I have been puzzling over it for some time."