"Now, Jack," and Bess had alighted from her car, "you are not to make jokes, we haven't time. I am almost dead from hurrying. Mother decided, about midnight last night, that we should go to----" Then she stopped. How silly it would be to blurt out in one mouthful all the story of their secret planning! "Oh, go ahead," said Jack with a light laugh. "I am deaf and dumb, also blind and halt. I have no idea where you are going. A trip over the Rockies----" "Come in, Bess dear," said Cora, "and leave the boy to himself. You are certainly out of breath, and----" Cora drew the arm of her friend within her own, and with all sorts of glances at Jack, who was actually seated in the _Flyaway_ to make sure that the girls would not get away without his knowledge, Bess and Cora passed into the house. "We are going to-day," went on Bess. "Mother wants our Western friends to have an outing at the beach--they have never been to salt water--and, as they must start back in a few days, we have to go to-day. Can you come?" "How could I--go, this very day?" "Why, we won't start until afternoon. And you have everything ready," urged Bess. "It will be fun. We'll stop over night at a hotel and reach the shore next day." It seemed to Cora that all the powers were conspiring to get her out of Chelton that day, and it also seemed as if it might be rash to oppose such a force. True, she did have everything ready, and her household matters were always in such shape she could leave the servants on an hour's warning. Bess saw that Cora was uncertain, and she hurried to take advantage of the possible favorable opportunity. "Oh, Cora, do come! What a perfectly stupid time we would have on that long run with just mama and the others. We wanted to go in the _Flyaway_ and let them go by train, but, of course, mama would not hear to that. So now papa has hired a big machine and a chauffeur from the garage and Belle and I will go in our '_Bird_,' while the others travel near us in the hired car. Don't you see, if you go along with the _Whirlwind_ what a splendid time we shall have?" "Let's tell Jack--or ask him," said Cora finally. "He knows we are getting ready for some trip, and I guess we can trust him not to tell the other boys." "Don't you want the other boys to know?" asked Bess, a tone of disappointment in her voice. "Do you?" asked Cora, mischievously. "Oh, I suppose they will find it out. And besides, Cora, honestly, don't you think we would be--lonely without--the boys?" Cora burst into a merry laugh. "There, Bess, my dear, you have broken the watchword--you are to be responsible for the boys. We pledged ourselves, as we always do, to 'keep them out' this time."