"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.

So the girls planned and plotted, until, in the northwest, a great
black cloud came stealing over the silent blue, gathering fury as
it came, and coming very quickly at that.

"A storm!" shouted Belle. "Oh, I do hope it won't be the