"Something tells me that the demolished hamper forbodes evil. You will regret the day, Miss Elizabeth, that you spilled Sid Wilcox's-" "Pumpkin pie," finished Cora. "I never saw such pumpkiny pumpkin pie in my life. I can smell it yet!" "Mrs. Giles' famous home-made," quoted Walter. "Well, it might have been worse--they might have eaten that pie." "Say, fellows," said Jack suddenly, "this is all very pretty--the girls, I mean, of course--but does it smite any one of you young rustics that we have an engagement--ahem! At three-thirty, wasn't it?" "Precisely," declared Ed. "So much obliged for the feed; and do we make a party call?" "Of course," answered the pretty Ray, attempting to tie her huge scarf, without having any idea of doing so. "We shall expect--" "The bunch?" interrupted Jack, knowing Ray's preference for the handsome Ed. "How--" "Naughty," simpered Cecilia. "Jack, how can you use slang in the presence of ladies?" and she assumed the characteristic "tough" walk, which had always been one of Clip's most laughable capers. "Loidies!" echoed Jack, tilting his cap and striking an attitude appropriate to that assumed by Cecilia. He slipped his arm within hers, and the pair "strutted off," in the fashion identified with the burlesque stage. "Here! here!" called more than one young lady. "Come back here, Clip! There are to be no boys!" "This isn't a boy," called back Cecilia, keeping up the performance. "He's only a--" "Don't you dare!" threatened Jack. The girls began to gather the things up from the grass. "Now don't hurry," remarked Ed coolly. "The fact is, we are not going your way." "Don't want us!" almost gasped Ray. "Shook!" groaned Bess. "Not at all," Walter hurried to add, "but the real truth is--well, let me see. What's the real truth?" Jack was fetching Cecilia back. At some secret sign the young men actually took to their heels, and ran away before the girls realized what was happening. But from a distance they waved a cheerful adieu. "What do you think of that!" exclaimed Hazel. "Oh, they are just up to some frolic, and could not take us in," said Cora. "If we were not so busy with our plans we might follow them. But I propose continuing the business meeting." With some reluctance, for the time had been greatly enlivened by the appearance of the young men on the scene, the girls once more got to discussing the details of their proposed three days' tour. As Cora had predicted, Maud wanted the stops along the way made at the homes of her various and varied relatives. Daisy feared her mother would insist upon a chaperone, and this almost absorbed Daisy's chance of being eligible. Ray thought the motors should flaunt flags--pretty light blue affairs--but Bess declared it would be infinitely more important to carry plenty of gasoline.