The Motor Maids Across the Continent

l, leaning back in her seat and folding he

on at the back of the car of five extra large suit cases and other paraphernalia for a long

e lady. "At my age to become a gypsy vagabond. Oh

en," answered her young relative, "since he was a soldi

ell," pursued Elinor Butler, "one who rides in a motor car

es-in-waiting," co

oute to sleep in instead of

g journey, I cannot help thinking it is a wild adventure. But I shall be over it in a moment, I daresay. Have th

ccustomed places. One of the attendants from the hotel gave the crank a dexterous twist; there was a thro

May, the air just frosty enough to make the blood tingle and bring color to the cheeks. Up to the very day before, an icy gale had blown across the windy city of the plains, but through the night it had gradually tempered into a springtime breeze. The red car sped through the sunshine with al

windows and blinds to let in the morning light; through business streets already humming with l

ty miles of the route. Moreover, for a month past, she had been studying maps and guide-books until her mind reflected now only a great bird's-eye

monotonous wheat fields to promote any partic

chool girls at West Haven High School slav

ed Mary joyfully, "and now, behol

ong, hard spring for her, and she was glad after examinations were over,

ness. "Don't mention the hateful word. I am as full of mathemati

'm stuffed with another va

s, was the bête noir of Billie's school days and the teacher of history was v

," put in Nancy. "She isn't to come back ne

sent?" asked Miss Campbell,

dates, not that we could remember 100 or even 50. It was Elinor who thou

ve not," pro

ing Miss Hawkes, she was chosen to make the speec

as never tired of listening

and what was the

nk her for the splendid mental training she had given us last winter, an

a good word, Elin

anks, it wouldn't have mattered so much," put in Mary. "B

it, child?" deman

as tightly as dates can be packed, just as she had

d and laughing in spite of herself. "The poor soul! Ho

Elinor. "She drew herself up stiffer and straighter than us

could remember a date from one day to the next, I suppose she suspected me of having been the ring-leader and this morni

the pocket of her motor coa

terested in getting away and I had really forgotten it until the subject

etter

you should by chance hear the name of 'Hawkes,' do not treat it as light

a Ha

d Elinor. "She is quee

shamed of what we did now. I supp

scolded us for forgetting those aw

wakening. I don't think it was exactly respectful to have given the lady a box of dried dates. But she brought it on h

had a secret contempt

ou know, cousin. She'

agined she was a

o the powerful family of chi

mily, only they are mostly cente

omahawk family?"

this strangely pertinent question becaus

skimming through the air, as they had often seen him do a

of the automobi

in great excitement "Oh,

ped out into the road, craning thei

sembled at first a gigantic bird with wings outspread, soar

spered Billie, almost sp

fields now cultivated and yielding great crops of corn and wheat. Less than a hundred years ago what would th

uld plainly see a human being riding it. Then, the birdman, as if he were not already high enough to see the whole world stretched out be

flat down at the

he cried. "Suppose he

bserved Mary in a low voice much

clicking noise which was all the more accentuated because no other sound followed. The motor had ceased to whir. They saw the aeroplanist fumble frantically with

he lands?" demand

ened to crank the machine. "Get in quickly-ever

n the road toward the field where th

y on the step of the Comet as Bill

eople from trampling down the young wheat. It was no easy matter to crawl through the intersti

on who has something far more interesting on hand than pongee coa

y much like an enormous kite at close range. But where was the

dst of the debris revealed him at las

urned upward, but, by the grace of Providence, which watches over the lives of some rash beings, the young man was not even hurt. He was onl

d blinking them in amazement when he beheld the faces of five lad

brown hair and reddish brown eyes to match. His features were regular. Hi

"Then it wasn't a

ly thought his mi

wn out of the s

Miss Campbell, applying he

ng ruefully down at the demolished aeroplane. They noticed that he was not dressed like a messenger from Mars, as they had seen aeroplanists att

e thing when I sneezed. I felt it coming on, but it couldn't be stopped, and I lost control and shot down like a piece o

h this?" asked Billie, pointi

red. "It's all in,

have a souvenir

and pressing his hand to his head, which w

ng and let us take you somewhere. You are suffering of c

wiser if I told you what piece it was, and certainly Nancy herself was as ignorant of its purpose as a cat of a sewing machine. She chose it because it was detache

atulate herself on obeying first im