"Oh, thank you," sighed Jane. "You are so good. I shall tell Julia that
I'm invited here, so she won't think I'm dissatisfied. They're so good
to me--I wouldn't want to hurt their feelings!"

"Of course not," murmured Mary.

* * * * *

The big, fat tire of the touring-car popped like a pistol shot directly
in front of the large white house with the green blinds.

"This is the time we're in luck, Belle," laughed the good-natured young
fellow who had been driving the car. "Do you see that big piazza just
aching for you to come and sit on it?"

"Are we really stalled, Will?" asked the girl.

"Looks like it--for a while. I'll have to telephone Peters to bring
down a tire. Of course, to-day is the day we didn't take it!"

Some minutes later the girl found herself on the cool piazza, in charge
of a wonderfully hospitable old lady, while down the road the good-
looking young fellow was making long strides toward the next house and a
telephone.

"We are staying at the Lindsays', in North Belton," explained the girl,
when he was gone, "and we came out for a little spin before dinner.
Isn't this Belton? I have an aunt who used to live here somewhere--Aunt
Jane Pendergast"