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The Outdoor Girls at Bluff Point; or a Wreck and a Rescue, a novel by Laura Lee Hope |
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Chapter 5. A Problem Solved |
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_ CHAPTER V. A PROBLEM SOLVED "I wish," said Mollie, sitting back to view approvingly the shining black hood of her car, "that we had another machine. I'm afraid by the time we've packed our bags and things into the tonneau we'll find it rather crowded. And for such a long trip we ought to have plenty of room." "That's what I was thinking," agreed Amy, rubbing a bit of nickel to a gleaming polish, for the girls had gathered at Mollie's to help her put the car in shape for the anticipated trip to Bluff Point. And they had gone to their work with a will, rubbing and polishing the big machine as they would have groomed a well-loved horse. "We will have our trunks sent, of course, but we shall have to take our nighties and combs and brushes and such things. We might put 'em on the roof," she added hopefully. "Yes, and we might wear 'em," said Grace scornfully. "That is a brilliant idea." "Well, I have one worth two of that," said Betty, trying not to look mysterious. "Betty, are you going to spring anything on us?" cried Mollie, while the other two paused with dust cloths uplifted. "Not if you don't want me to," returned the Little Captain demurely. "Betty, dear, I love you so," crooned Mollie, running around the car and putting a rather oily hand about Betty's waist. "You wouldn't want such an ardent admirer to drop dead at your feet, would you, now?" "It would have the charm of novelty," chuckled Betty, only to add quickly as Mollie made a threatening gesture: "No, please don't kill me yet. Come over here on the steps and I'll tell you all about it." "Yes, yes, go on," they cried, obediently ranging themselves on the steps of the back porch and fixing eager eyes upon her. "Shoot!" Mollie commanded inelegantly. "Well," said Betty speaking slowly to add to the effect of her announcement, "I have a car!" "A car!" they echoed, and Grace added: "Now I know she's crazy!" "When?" demanded Mollie, her eyes round and black, as they always were under excitement. "If you mean, when did I get it," answered Betty, enjoying their surprise to the full, "I might tell you that up to six o'clock last evening I had no more idea of owning a car than you did. However, at six-fifteen, I owned it," and her eyes danced with the pride of ownership. Then the girls fell upon her, all demanding explanation of the miracle, till she raised her hand pleadingly. "Give me a chance," she begged. "How can I tell you anything when you're making such a noise?" The girls seemed impressed with the common sense of this. At any rate, they stopped talking for the space of a half a minute. "It was last night at dinner," explained Betty hurriedly, seizing her opportunity. "Dad came in a little late, and as he sat down he laughingly asked us how we would like a racing car in the family." "A racing car!" they echoed. "Of course we thought he was joking," continued Betty, "but when we found he was very much in earnest of course we went wild with excitement." "I should think so," breathed Amy. "But, Betty darling, how--" Mollie was beginning when Betty cut her short by hurrying on with her story. "That's what we wanted to know, of course," she said. "It seems that one of Dad's clients owed him a good deal of money, and although he, the client, that is, had plenty of money, it was all tied up in such a way that he couldn't get hold of it right away, so he offered to give Dad his almost new racing car in exchange. And," here Betty came to the most wonderful part of her story, "since mother doesn't care for that type of car--he gave it to me!" "Betty, how mar-ve-lous!" breathed Mollie, while Amy and Grace just stared. "Can we see it? Have you got it at home?" asked Amy, after a few minutes during which the girls had been getting used to the wonderful idea of Betty with a machine, and a racing machine at that. "Oh, Betty, lead us to it," added Mollie yearningly. "I don't know whether it's come yet or not," explained the Little Captain, as the girls threw aside dust rags and gingham aprons preparatory to a concerted rush upon the new acquisition. "That's why I didn't tell you about it sooner. I was going to surprise you by taking you to it," she added, as they set off at a walk that was almost a run for the pretty Nelson house; "but when Mollie spoke about another car I just couldn't hold back any longer. Oh dear, I hope it has come!" "Won't it be fun?" cried Mollie joyfully, executing a little irrepressible skip in her delight. "You can run it, Betty, of course, and take Grace or Amy with you while our car comes behind--" "With the luggage," finished Betty wickedly. "Well you needn't be so conceited," retorted Mollie, her nose in the air, while Betty looked innocent. "Wasn't that what you were going to say?" she inquired. However, there was no time for more conversation, for at that moment they turned a corner, bringing Betty's house to sight, and what should be going up the drive at that particular and ecstatic moment but the graceful, low-bodied racer itself! With a shout the girls rushed forward. They overtook the driver as he slowed to a stop, and fairly danced with impatience while the man pushed up his goggles, took off his hat, wiped his perspiring forehead, and slowly turned to smile at them. "This is where Mr. Nelson lives, isn't it?" he asked. "Mr. Todd asked me to bring the car around--" "Yes, yes, we know all about it," interrupted Betty, then added with a smile, as the man looked surprised: "I suppose you think I'm terribly impatient, but, you see, the car is mine, and I can't wait to try it out." The man whistled and descended with alacrity. The girls noticed rather absentmindedly that he was a rather good looking young fellow, probably one of the young men from Mr. Todd's office who had volunteered to run this errand for him. "Well, I don't blame you a bit for being in a hurry," he said heartily, eyeing the beautiful lines of the car with approval. "She sure is a great little machine! You are Miss Nelson, I suppose?" he added, turning to Betty. "You see," with evident embarrassment, "I promised to deliver the car in person to Mr. Nelson--" "Here he is, so there ought to be no difficulty about that," said a jovial voice, and they turned to find Mr. Nelson himself coming toward them. "Good afternoon, Mr. Jameson. How do you like my new acquisition? A beauty is it not?" "I say so!" agreed the young fellow, and after a few moments of general conversation, Mr. Nelson led him off toward the house, leaving the girls to themselves. And that, as Mollie afterward remarked, "was just the most beautiful thing he could have done!" Before they had turned the corner of the house, Betty had clambered in behind the steering wheel and was bidding the girls follow. In their excitement they all tried to climb in, forgetting that a car designed to seat two people cannot by any stretch of imagination accommodate four. Then suddenly realizing what an absurd picture they must be making, they began to laugh. "Well, now what are we going to do?" wailed Mollie. "We can't all go at once." "Of course you can," cried Betty busily examining her treasure, touching a lever here, a button there, with loving fingers. "What, may I ask, is the matter with the running boards?" "Betty, you don't mean--" "Yes, I do," firmly. "But we can't--" "Well, then I'll have to take one at a time," decided Betty, tooting the horn experimentally. "Come on--who goes first?" "Oh, come on, we'll all go," cried Mollie dancing with impatience. "You get in beside Betty, Grace, since you're afraid of the running board, and Amy and I'll hang on somewhere. Come on, Amy. Be a sport, old girl." Amy wavered for a moment, but the challenge was too much for her, and she nodded her head in assent. "Thank goodness I can only die once," was her cheerful comment. So Grace climbed in beside the Little Captain, while Amy and Mollie scrambled up on the running boards and clung to the sides of the car. Then Betty tooted the horn triumphantly and began slowly to back down the drive. "I don't know about this," she remarked, as the car made rather zigzagging work of it. "I've driven mostly on a straight road, you know, and I'm not very expert, even if I do know all about a motor boat." "So we see," commented Mollie wickedly, as Betty nearly backed into a flower bed at one side of the drive. "Don't you think we'd better get off?" asked Amy. "Till you turn into the road, anyway, Betty?" she added. "Don't you dare," cried Betty, giving the wheel a nervous little twist that caused Amy to groan and clutch the side of the car tighter. "If you make me stop now, I'll never get started again. There!" as the car slid into the roadway, hesitated a moment, then without a jar or a jerk, glided swiftly along the smooth road, gathering headway as it went. "Now we're all right." "That was pretty work, Betty," complimented Mollie, who, as an old and experienced driver, felt capable of pronouncing judgment. "Now let's see what this little car will do." "Not too fast," begged Amy, as Betty slid into high gear. "Remember we're not used to this kind of traveling, and we're apt to find ourselves sitting in the road if you're not careful." "Have you chosen your spot?" asked Betty, her eyes twinkling. "Just the same, it might have been a good idea to have brought some cushions along," said Mollie ruefully. "We might have strapped them on and used them the way you do life savers--in case of emergency." "My, you must be having a wonderful time," drawled Grace. "Have some candy Mollie--it may help your courage." "My courage doesn't need any help, thank you," snapped Mollie, adding wickedly: "Just for that we ought to make you ride out here." "Goodness, don't!" cried Betty, as she swung the car around a corner and started once more toward home. "The punishment wouldn't fit the crime, Mollie. Besides, we'll be back in a few minutes. Girls, she runs like a dream!" "She's a wonder," agreed Mollie. "I guess there's just about no limit to the speed she's capable of." "Do you want me to let her out?" queried Betty wickedly, but both Amy and Mollie protested vehemently. "Some other time," said Mollie, "when we're not hanging on by our eyelids!" A few minutes more, and they were again turning into the Nelson drive, which, by the way, Betty took much more expertly this time. As the car slowed, Amy and Mollie dropped off and Amy opened the door for Lady Grace, who descended slowly. "Well, how do you like it?" cried Betty, jumping out in her turn and regarding her new possession with shining eyes. "Do you think she'll do?" "Do!" they cried, and Mollie added, patting the smooth side of the car with admiring fingers: "She's a wonder, Betty--as Roy would say, 'a perfect pippin.' Good-bye," she added suddenly, starting down the drive. "Where are you going?" cried Betty, as they looked after her surprised. "Home," she answered, adding with a chuckle: "I've got to finish cleaning my old car. It's poor old nose must be terribly out of joint." _ |
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