CHAPTER XVII
A RUNAWAY AUTO
When Cora finished reading Mary's letter to Ed, which did not takelong, she looked up at him and asked:
"Well, what do you think of it?"
"I--er--I think--would you mind very much if I didn't tell you whatI think of it?" he answered her in turn.
"No," she said slowly; "not if you don't care to. But I thoughtperhaps--Jack says you know who took the money," she finishedhurriedly. She had wanted to get alone with Ed more to ask him thisthan to read Mary's letter to him.
Ed started.
"Jack said that?" he asked, obviously to gain time.
"Yes."
"I didn't exactly say, that. I said I had my suspicions. He musthave misunderstood me."
"Very likely. Jack's rather impetuous. Then you don't know?"
"Not exactly."
"I'll not ask you whom you suspect," declared Cora, though it washard work not to, for she had her share of curiosity, and she felt,in a measure, that suspicion for the robbery was upon her and herfriends.
They were both rather sober after that, and following a short ridearound quiet streets Ed brought her home. Walter and Jack were gone.
"Good-by," said Ed as he started away. "If I--er--if I make mysuspicions a certainty I'll tell you before I do any one else."
"Will you--really?"
"Yes."
When the Robinson girls called on Cora the next afternoon she hadabout completed her plans for the lawn fete. It was to be a novelaffair, and almost all the eligible young folks of Chelton were tobe invited.
"All," declared Cora, "except Sid Wilcox. He simply shall notcome."
"But how can you leave him out?" questioned Bess. "Especially asyou are going to ask Ida and others in that set."
"I simply will not have him," insisted Cora, "and I don't care whatany one thinks about it. He is too--too impertinent to be polite,and I will not run the risk of having him offend some one."
Secretly Cora was thinking of his last transgression, and itafforded her no small consolation to note that her particularfriends had not heard of the stolen ride.
Belle, "relaxing" on the low divan in the library window, just wherethe sun could help her out on the rest theory, was too deeply buriedin thought to make rash comment on Cora's decision. She wantedeverything simply perfect, and to shape plans with such precisionwas no easy matter.
"Of course,--you will ask the Sheldons," she finally venture.
"Of course," answered Cora. "But, Belle, we expected a moreimportant remark after such forethought on your part."
"And the Winters," went on the serene one, not noticing the bit ofsarcasm.
"Yes; and I have a new star," said Cora quickly. "Who ever do youimagine she can be?"
"I know," declared Bess. "She is Paul's sister."
"Who told you?" demanded Cora.
"Not a soul," Bess assured her; "but I saw you out in your car withher this morning. Isn't she nice."
"Very. But being nice is not her strongest point. She is--brainy."
"O-h-h-h!" sighed Bess. "Then let's not take her up. Belle hasbrains enough for one town."
"But Hazel isn't that kind. Isn't that a pretty name?" demandedCora quickly. "She has a different sort of brains. She is a studentof nature--biology and evolution, to be exact."
"Perhaps she could tell what makes Bess so--so fat," suggested Bellewith marked sarcasm.
"Or what makes you so thin," retaliated Bess.
"At any rate, she is a very sweet girl," declared Cora, "and I'mmost anxious for you to meet her. At the same time I am afraid youwill like her a lot better than you do me."
"Cora Kimball!" exclaimed Bess. "As if any one could be morelikable than you--to us!"
"Oh, I don't know," sighed Cora. "There's Jack."
"Well--er--he's nice--just because he's your brother," replied Bessa bit awkwardly.
"Now for plans," said Cora suddenly, wishing to change the subject,as it was becoming too personal. "We must get the cards outto-morrow. Every one must be masked--that's settled--and we'll tryto confine the characters to--"
"The Roman period," interrupted Belle. "That will make it pretty."
"I wonder how the boys will take it?" asked Bess. "I shouldn'twonder if they all came as gladiators."
"Or some such character as Nero," added Belle.
"As long as they don't try to emulate him on his burning Romeaffair," came from Cora.
"And every one must keep his or her costume a secret," went onBelle, who was nervous with enthusiasm. "I am not even going to letBess know whit mine will be."
"All right, sister," replied Bess, glancing at her tiny, enameledwatch; "but pray don't be too--too spirituelle. That is, if therewere any Roman spirits."
"There was Roman punch!" laughed Cora merrily. "I believe I wouldlike to be Roman punch, if it's not too strong."
"And served up to--" began Bess.
"The gentleman with whom she was riding yesterday afternoon,"finished Belle. "The idea of a young lady going out motoring in amorning dress--"
"Bareheaded," chimed in Bess, and a laugh followed.
"Come to think of it, girls," spoke Cora, making an effort to getback to the party, "I do not think we ought to confine this fete toany particular period. Suppose some one wants to be--well, say,Priscilla--and has been wanting to be Priscilla all her life."
"That's right," agreed Bess. "It's just like you, Cora, to thinkall around a thing. Yes, I vote for a masked fete. Any sort of acostume, so long as we are masked."
Belle also agreed that this would be a better plan than the onefirst proposed, and then the trio of girls busied themselves overthe invitation list. There was no time to spare, as the "doings"must come off before Mrs. Kimball's trip to Bermuda, for which shewas preparing.
"And you feel you must invite Ida?" asked Bess. "I am sure she isalmost as certain to do something rude as Sid would be."
"Yes, we had better have her," declared Cora, putting down Ida'sname on the long list. "Ida is not really mean--she is ratherunfortunate--and I think, as she has been in Chelton so long itwould be unkind to leave her out."
"I hardly think she will come," commented Belle. "She has beenso--so snippy lately."
"Well, we'll ask her, at any rate. And, now, don't forget, we areall to keep our costumes secret."
"Oh, won't it be jolly!" sang out Bess. "I can scarcely wait."
"And to think of having it after dark, without chaperons to lookafter us!" exclaimed Belle. "I doubt if some of the stiff girls willbe allowed to come on that account."
"Then we'll have a better time without the stiffs," declared theyoung hostess. "I'm sure our patronesses are protection enough, andmother is going to delay her trip a few days on purpose to be onhand."
"Oh, of course," Belle hurried to explain, "I think it is justperfectly all right and delicious, but I was just speculating on thekind who may be jealous."
"And is Paul coming?" asked Bess. She was always so self-consciouswhen she asked a question like that.
"Why, of course," answered Cora, "and also his sister Hazel. Iparticularly like them both, and Jack, who has met Paul, agrees thathe is a very nice young man."
"Expert opinion, I suppose," murmured Belle.
They talked in jolly mood for some time longer, and the twins wereabout to leave for home when a shout out in the street attractedtheir attention.
"What's that?" asked Cora, starting up.
"Runaway! Look out for the runaway!" the girls heard severalpersons shout.
"It's a horse running `away," declared Belle. "Let's stay whereit's safe--up here."
But Cora had started down the path, and Bess followed her.
"It's a runaway motor--a car!" exclaimed Cora as she caught sight ofsomething flashing through the trees. It was a runabout, dashingalong the avenue without a hand to guide it, and as it gatheredspeed it swerved from side to side.
"Why, it's Jack's car!" cried Cora as the
auto flashed past her."Can he be hurt? Where is he? 'Oh, Jack!"
She started to run, leaving Bess on the path.
"I must stop it!" thought Cora. "It may run into a person or a teamand kill some one."
Before she thought of the uselessness of her act she found herselfrunning down the street, along with a shouting crowd of men andboys. As if she could catch up to an auto!
She hardly knew what she was doing.
"Oh, can't some one stop it?" she cried. "Turn off the power! Itmust be stopped!"
"By Jove! That's a plucky chap!" exclaimed a stranger. "There!He's lost his hold! He'll be run over!"
A young man, who had made a daring attempt to stop the runabout, wasseen to be slipping beneath the wheels. But as the car sped on hepulled himself up to the seat. He grasped the wheel just in time toprevent the car from running up on the sidewalk, and an instantlater he had shut off the power and applied the brakes.
"Why, it's Ed Foster!" exclaimed Cora as she came up beside thehalted runabout. "Oh, Ed, are you hurt? I'm so glad you stoppedJack's car. There might have been a bad accident."
"Oh, I'm all right. I nearly slipped out, though. How did ithappen?"
"I don't know. We were sitting on our piazza when we heard the cry,and I saw the car speeding away."
"Where's Jack?"
"I don't know that, either. I'm afraid he's hurt."
"The car doesn't seem to be damaged," remarked a man who had beennearly run down.
The crowd, rather disappointed, on the whole, that no accident hadhappened, turned away. Cora got in Jack's car beside Ed, who startedthe machine back. They were met half way to the Kimball home by PaulHastings.
"Any damage done?" he called out as soon as he saw them. Heappeared very anxious.
"None, but it was a narrow squeak," answered Ed.
"Where's Jack?" asked Cora.
"We took him home."
"Oh, is he--is he badly hurt?"
"No; only a sprained leg, I believe, and some bruises. The doctoris there."
"How did it happen?" asked Cora quickly.
"Why, Jack brought his machine to the garage to have a littlerepairing done. I had finished it, and he and I were in the officetalking, when a fellow named Lem Gildy came along and threw in theclutch, starting the car off.'
"Jack saw him do it and ran out, trying to stop his runabout, but hewasn't quick enough, and was knocked down. I hurried out to pick himup, and I forgot all about the runaway car until I had taken Jackhome. There was considerable excitement, as there was a brand-newcar, a very expensive one, belonging to the Blends, in front of ourgarage, and the runabout nearly crashed into it. If it had, the newmachine would have been wrecked."
"And what became of Lem Gildy?" asked Ed.
"Oh, he sneaked off, after whining out that he didn't mean any harm.But I think he did. He's a suspicious character."
"Hurry home. I want to see Jack," begged Cora.
Ed started Jack's runabout off again, after telling Paul what hadhappened down the street. The handsome young chauffeur said he wouldpresently call at the house and inquire after Jack.
Cora found her brother in bed, where her mother had insisted that hego, though he declared he was not hurt much. Dr. Dearborn hadexamined him, and said he would be all right in a few days.
"Oh, weren't you awfully frightened, Cora?" asked Bess, who, withher sister, had remained at the Kimball home.
"Indeed I was, but I knew the car had to be stopped."
"And it was going some," added Ed.
"I can't see what motive Lem would have in starting the car," saidCora. "I never knew him to be malicious--only worthless."
"I believe he planned this," declared Paul, who had just arrived.
"Why so?" asked Cora.
"Well, he's been hanging around the garage for several days past,and numbers of times I've ordered him away. I heard him asking oneof the men, the other day, how to throw in a clutch on a car likeJack's, and that made me suspicious."
"But what could his object be?" asked Ed, rubbing one arm, thatwas strained from his exertion in stopping the car:
"I believe him to be in the pay of some one," declared Paul withflashing eyes, "and I believe his object was to get me into trouble.As I told you, there stood in front of the garage a valuable new carbelonging to the Blends. Their chauffeur was about to take it outfor a run. If Jack's car, started by Lem, had smashed into it Iwould have been blamed, for I ran the car out of the garage, fortheir chauffeur. Then I would have lost my position here, andprobably would not get that new one in New City, for the garagepeople would have blacklisted me."
"Oh, mercy!" gasped Belle. "Wouldn't that have been dreadful!"
"Bad for me," admitted Paul with a smile. "But I'm sorry Jack washurt."
"Thank goodness it's no worse!" exclaimed Cora. "But, Mr. Hastings,whom do you think paid Lem to do such a mean thing?"
"I'd rather not say," answered the young garage manager. "But Ishall keep my ears and eyes open, and if I find out what I suspectto be true--well, there'll be trouble for somebody."
He spoke with flashing eyes, and Cora looked at him admiringly.
"Well, since we know how your brother is, I think we'll be going,Cora," said Bess, and she and her sister took their departure,followed by Paul and Ed.
"I wonder why Lem Gildy did that?" asked Cora of herself as she wentto her room that night. "Who is urging him on? Did he want to injureJack, as well as make trouble for Paul? Well, I'll have to give upthinking of it now," she finished, "but, like Paul--I suppose Iought to say Mr. Hastings--I'm going to keep my eyes and ears on thealert, too."