"Oh, Jack!"

"Oh, Cora! What's the matter?"

"You're horrid!"

"All right. Then I'm going off and read a horrible tale about
pirates, and walking the plank, and all that. I'll be on hand at the
time and place mentioned. Hoping this will find you well, remain,
yours very truly, Jack." And he hurried out of the room amid the
laughter of his mother and sister.

"What a boy!" exclaimed Mrs. Kimball.

It was a pleasant, summer evening, and when Cora hurried down the
avenue toward the Robinson home, she actually seemed to have wings.
For she was not running, and her pace could hardly be called
walking.

Her tall, straight figure was clad in a simple linen gown. She had
need to disregard frills now, for she was a motor girl.

"Oh, come on, and don't ask a single question!" she exclaimed as the
Robinson twins--Bess and Belle--hastened to meet her in response to
her ring. "Come on! We must go over to the garage, quick! I've got a
new machine, and I've got to learn all about it."

She had to pause for breath, and Belle managed to say