Produced by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by Cornell University Digital Collections) [Illustration: “You will simply be an outcast in West Haven, and I advise you to think the matter over.”] THE MOTOR MAIDS’ SCHOOL DAYS BY KATHERINE STOKES NEW YORK HURST & COMPANY PUBLISHERS Copyright, 1911, BY HURST & COMPANY CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. “The Comet” 5 II. Friends in Need 24 III. The Musicians of Bremen 41 IV. Plots and Plans 52 V. The First Motor Picnic 63 VI. The Box of Troubles 81 VII. The Fire 95 VIII. Nancy’s Home 110 IX. At the Sign of the Blue Tea Pot 128 X. Rumors at School 136 XI. Seven League Island 147 XII. The Storm 166 XIII. Wheels Within Wheels 179 XIV. The Hallowe’en House Party 193 XV. The Ghost Party 206 XVI. A Stray Ghost 217 XVII. Mrs. Ruggles 228 XVIII. Fannie Alta 241 XIX. Mary Before Her Judges 253 XX. Miss Campbell Wears Black 262 XXI. The Missing Link 271 XXII. The Refugees 280 XXIII. Belle’s Confession 291 XXIV. Out of the Mists 303 THE MOTOR MAIDS’ SCHOOL DAYS CHAPTER I.—“THE COMET.” “Girls, in about ten minutes you’re going to have the surprise of your lives,” cried Nancy Brown, joining a group of her friends at the High School gate. “What is it, Nancy? Do tell us, please,” cried half a dozen voices at once. “No, you must wait,” answered Nancy. “If I told you what it was, I wouldn’t enjoy seeing your faces when the thing happened.” “Nancy, you have always got some mystery on foot,” put in her most intimate friend, Elinor Butler. “Is this one animal, vegetable, or mineral?” “Fine or superfine?” “Can it speak?”