the mere mention of it.

"How about poor Frank and Roy?" asked Mollie, mentioning the other two
boys who made up the quartette of the girls' boy chums. "Who will attend
to their fevered brows?"

"Oh, you and Grace can take turns at that," said Betty, lightly adding,
with a little sigh: "Try as we can, Amy and I never know quite how to pair
you four off. We can't for the life of us find out which of you likes
Frank best and which inclines to Roy."

"That's right, kid--keep 'em guessing," said Mollie slangily, as she
turned on power and challenged a steep grade. "Grace and I believe in
scattering our favors--as 'twere. See that hill just ahead of us? What do
you bet I make it without changing gears?"

"If you make it without changing our looks, I'll be happy," said Grace
ruefully, as they bumped and rumbled to the top of the steep grade. "Look
out, Mollie!" she added suddenly, indicating a big pile of brushwood that
jutted out almost into the center of the road. "For goodness' sake, slow
down!"

But Mollie did more than slow down. She stopped--and with such suddenness
that the girls were all but thrown out of the car and Betty bumped her
nose on the seat in front.

They had scarcely regained their poise when they were startled by a shrill
cry from Amy.

"Girls!" she almost screamed, clutching Betty's arm in a grip that hurt,