"Cora said you were coming for her," put in Bess with a smile.
Jack seemed disappointed that the subject was mentioned.
"Yes," he said. "She was very particular to specify the time. It's
nine-thirty now, but I'm in no hurry," and he looked about for a
chair.
"But I am," insisted Cora.
"Well, then," added Jack a bit stiffly, "if you're ready, suppose
we run along. Or, have you had enough running for this evening?"
"Plenty. But I really must go, girls. Be sure and be ready in the
morning for--well, you know what," and she finished with a laugh.
"We want the Chelton folks--"
"To sit up and take notice, I suppose," put in Jack quickly. "Pardon
the slang, ladies, but sometimes slang seems to fit where nothing
else will."
The twins managed to whisper a word or two into Cora's ear as she
said good-night and left with her brother.
They had had such a splendid time at the garage. It was the run
back home, over the railroad embankment, that had caused all their
flurry and excitement. And, though they had not left the auto
salesrooms until five minutes before the time Cora had appointed for
her brother to meet her, they had actually managed to reach home
before Jack called, so that he could have no suspicion of their
visit to the garage.
Paul Hastings, the young man whom they had encountered on their
visit to the automobile place, had proved a most interesting
youth--he appeared to know many things besides the good and bad
points of the average car.
Mr. and Mrs. Perry Robinson, parents of the Robinson twins, happened
to be out that evening, so that, even to them, the visit to the
garage was a profound secret, and there was no need of making any
explanations.
That night, in her sleep, Elizabeth was heard to mutter "The clutch!
Throw in the clutch!"
And Isabel actually answered, also in dream language:
"Jam down the brake!"
But Cora, across the fields, in her own cool, out-of-doors sleeping
apartment, built on a broad porch, did not dream. She just
slumbered.
It was a delightful morning in early June, and the air seemed
sprinkled with scented dew, when Cora Kimball drove up to the
Robinson home in her new automobile.
"Come on! Come on!" she called as she stopped at the curb and,
tooted the horn. "Hurry! I want to overtake Walter. He and Jack have
just gone out!"
"Oh, of course, you want to overtake Walter," answered Isabel, with
the emphasis on "Walter."
"Well, never mind about that, but do come," urged Cora. "What do
you think of my car?" she asked as the girls hastened to her. "Isn't
it a beauty?"
She handled the machine with considerable skill, for she had had
some practice on Jack's car.
"Think of it!" exclaimed Elizabeth. "Why, it's simply beyond
thoughts; it's--overwhelming!"
"A perfect dream," agreed Belle. "Aren't you the lucky girl,
though!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account