Mary's face flushed, and Ida immediately walked away."

"Is that so?" demanded Bess.

"Yes, and I have been puzzling over it for some time."

"I overheard some of the things they said," declared Belle. "I
think Sid was trying to get Mary and Ida to promise to go out for a
ride with him that evening. Ida refused, and Mary--well, I didn't
hear just what she said--but it wasn't no, I'm sure."

"But they all three looked so--so guilty," went on Cora. "It was
exactly as if they didn't want to be discovered."

"Maybe Sid was ashamed to be seen asking Mary to go for a ride. You
know, he's reported to be well off, and Mary--well, she's a dear,
sweet little girl, but she works for a living, and you know what a
fellow like Sid thinks of working girls."

"I thought I heard Sid saying something about hiring a machine to
take them out in," went on Belle.

"Well, maybe we'll get a chance to ask Mary about it when we get to
madam's," said Cora. "She'll be sent in to help us try on our
things."

They were soon in front of the shop with the big' glass front--the
only real, big glass front in Chelton--and behind the plate was
displayed a single hat--a creation--as Madam Julia described it.
Madam Julia was very exclusive.