"Sh!" warned Grace. "She has a perfect right to come over here to
Adminster, of course."

"My goodness! I should say she has," Lillie Nevins said, laughing.
"After telegraphing to her father for permission."

When the car came along Rhoda got in at the front and took the
corner seat again, while the others crowded in through the rear
door. The old man who acted as motorman was well known to some of
the girls, and they hailed him, as well as the conductor, gayly.
But the motorman seemed in no pleasant mood, for he scarcely
answered their sallies.

He shut himself into the forward platform before the conductor gave
the signal for starting, and dropped the latch on the double doors
so that the girls should not disturb him. When the conductor took
up the fares he said, on being questioned by Laura Polk:

"Oh, John is not feeling well, I guess. He hasn't acted like
himself all day. But it's as much as my life's worth to ask him how
he feels. He's got the temper of a wolf when he's under the
weather--poor old John has."

Of course, the girls gave the motorman little attention--unless
Rhoda did from her situation up front. The rest of them only
noticed him when he started or stopped the car with more than
ordinary abruptness.

"I do wish he wouldn't jerk the car so," complained Laura Polk.