CHAPTER XXIX

MERRY MOTOR MAIDS

The runaways were forgiven, finally, although between four "enraged"

young medical students, and the sextette of motor girls, Cora and

Duncan had some difficulty in making it perfectly clear that the trip

to Chelton was entirely unavoidable. It was a merry party that

gathered in Mrs. Bennet's long drawing-room that evening to make

arrangements for the run over Breakwater roads in the morning. The

girls at first refused to allow Cora a sight of the decorated cars

until they should be in line, but Tillie was so proud of her

achievement with the Whirlwind that all finally consented, and directly

after tea the cars in the garage and in the big barn were admired and

inspected. Certainly the machines did credit to the fair decorators.

The Whirlwind was transformed into a moving garden, the sides being

first wound with strong twine, and into this were thrust all sorts of

flowers in great, loose bunches. Only the softest foliage, in

branches, was utilized, as Tillie felt responsible for the luster of

the "piano" polish, for which the Whirlwind was remarkable. The top of

the car was like a roof garden, the effect being quite simply managed,

for Tillie was resourceful. She had stretched across the roof of the

car a strong sheet of pasteboard. Into this she placed a great variety

of wild flowers, banking the stalks, which stood into holes made in the

board, with soft grasses and such ferns as might be depended upon not

to "slink" in the sun.

"Wonderful!" exclaimed Cora with unfeigned delight. "But what an awful

lot of trouble, Tillie!"

"It is for you," said the German girl sincerely, "and you have gone to

an awful lot of trouble for me. Besides," she added, "you will look so

queenly in that throne of flowers."

The compliment was rather overwhelming--especially as the strange young

men were there, they with Duncan adding a new line of adjectives to the

admiration party.

"You may look at our car, Cora," assented Bess, "although you were so

indifferent, going away without even offering a suggestion as to what

we might do."

"As if I could anticipate Belle's talent," said Cora with a laugh. "I

feel I ought to answer to 'which hand' when I open my eyes on her

creation."

"Oh-h-h-h!"

The boys all joined in with Cora and Clip in the expressions of

delight, for there was the pretty little runabout, the Flyaway, made

into a "live pond lily."

"However did you do it?" asked Cora, actually amazed at the charming

effect.

"I shouldn't tell," replied Belle, who was looking very pretty--at

least one of the strange boys thought so. It was Phil MacVicker who

"kept track" of Belle, and it was the same gallant Phil, who, late in

the afternoon, helped Belle to finish up her pond lily.

"We may all guess why Belle chose that design," said Daisy, who was

waiting for the newcomers to pass judgment on her own runabout. "A

pond lily has a yellow head, and Belle's is just about that shade."

It would be pretty to see a yellow head in the white peals of the

improvised lily. Cora satisfied her curiosity by finding out that

these petals were nothing more than barrel staves covered with crushed

white paper.

"You have had an awful lot to do, girls," she said with genuine

sincerity. "I am actually sorry I could not have been here to help."

"Of course, mine is not so elegant," remarked Daisy, who led the way to

the other carriage house, where her machine was kept, "but I fancy

people will look at it."

Duncan "went wild" when he beheld what Daisy had rigged up. A

veritable circus wagon--a cage, in which Daisy declared she was going

to sit with whip in hand, and Nero, the big St. Bernard dog, at her

feet.

"We made it out of clothes poles and laths," said Daisy proudly. "I

have not taken a course in manual training for naught."

Then the boys had to fix up their cars. Duncan was tired--the other

boys were frisky--so he nicely suggested that they "do as they jolly

pleased with his car, so long as they left room for his feet."

Of course the boys wanted something grotesque. Phil suggested that

they all carry out the circus idea, and "trail" after Beauty and the

Beast. This was finally agreed to, and it was Duncan's car that they

turned into the calliope, actually going so far as to hire the local

hurdy-gurdy man to ride in it and do the "callioping."

"It looks as if our run home would be more auspicious than the trip we

made in," said Cora to one of the very nice young students, who had

offered to look over her car and see that it was in good working order.

"We had a dreadful time coming out here--but I suppose the girls have

told you about it."

Bentley Davis, otherwise called Ben, admitted that the young ladies had

spoken of the trip, and he presumed to predict a great time for the

auto meet.

So it went on until the boys had to go back to their hotel, and the

girls, after discussing all sorts of necessary and unnecessary plans,

finally consented to wait for the morrow.

Tired from their enthusiasm, as well as from muscular efforts, the

girls found their eyes scarcely "locked," before the bright rays of a

late summer sun knocked on the tardy lids and demanded recognition.

Was it really time to get up?

If only the wasted hours of the evening past might be tucked on to the

shortened time! Most things might be lengthened that way.

But, one after the other, the girls were at last awake, and so, quicker

and quicker, sped the time until horns were sounding from garage and

stable and even from the roadway.

"There come the Cheltons!" called Duncan as he saw Jack's car. Then

Walter's with Ed rounded the gravel driveway.

From that moment, until car after car was upon the roads of

Breakwater, it was a question which made the most noise, the girls

talking or the boys blowing signals on the auto horns. Hazel had come

with Jack, as Paul was scarcely able for the excitement, so that, after

all, the motor girls were all in the run.

What a parade!

Of course, Cora, being captain, had to lead, and from the floral folds

of the Whirlwind floated the club flag in the newly adopted colors, red

and white, with the gold letters, M. G. C. (Motor Girls' Club),

plainly discernible in the changing sunlight.

Every one in Breakwater had heard that there was to be an amateur motor

show, but few expected it to turn out into such a fine procession.

The sound of the "calliope" was truly ludicrous. To this was soon

added all sorts of noises that only street urchins know how to develop

spontaneously.

Nor were the young people of Breakwater to be left out of the sport,

for numbers of them possessing automobiles, fell into line, after the

decorated cars, until the entire little summer place was agog with such

excitement as the extreme originality of the visiting colonists usually

affords.

Street after street was paraded through, auto after auto wheeled along,

horns tooting, whistles screeching, boys shouting, girls cheering,

until one hour of this strenuous frolic seemed enough to satisfy motor

girls and motor boys; and the party went to the Beacon for luncheon

precisely at noon, leaving Tom to finish the honors by stripping the

cars of their trappings and making them ready for a homeward trip.

Cora, however, was persuaded to leave her machine decorated, as the

flowers made a pretty picture, and the return home, after the

three-days' trip, seemed more auspicious when thus heralded.

Reluctantly the adieux were made--Mrs. Bennet had been so hospitable,

and the boys such good company.

Duncan found an opportunity of making Clip more intimately acquainted

with his mother, for she was a woman glad to be the friend of her boy's

friends, and willing to take considerable trouble to show the many

little social preferences.

Cora insisted on the festivities breaking up on the scheduled time, and

so did Clip. Cora wanted to get to the antique shop, and Clip wanted

to get back to Chelton. So after a delay, impossible to avoid where

there were so many boys and so many girls, each and all wanting

something to say, some question to ask, or some message to deliver, the

party finally started off on the return trip of the first regular tour

of the Motor Girls' Club.