ddie Hughes to work
on it; and to add to my satisfaction, there arrived in my daily grist
from the office, the report that they had Skeels in jail at Tiajuana.

"Well, Jerry, old socks," Worth hailed my news as I followed out to his
car where he was starting for San Francisco, and going to drop me at the
Capehart garage, "Some luck! If Skeels is in jail at Tiajuana, and what
I'm after to-day turns out right, we may have both ends of the string."

Pink-and-white were the miles of orchards surrounding Santa Ysobel,
pink-and-white nearly all the dooryards, every tree its own little
carnival of bloom with bees for guests. Already the streets were full of
life, double the usual traffic. As we neared the Capehart cottage, on
its quiet side street about half a block from the garage, there was
Barbara under the apple boughs at the gate, talking to some man whose
back was to us. She bowed; I answered with a wave toward the garage; but
Worth scooted us past without, I thought, once glancing her way, sent
the roadster across Main where he should have stopped and let me out,
went on and into the highway at a clip which rocked us.

"Was that Cummings?" holding my hat on. No answer that I could hear,
while we made speed toward San Francisco. And still no word was spoken
until we had outraged the sensibilities of all whose bad luck it was to
meet us, those whom we passed going at a more reasonable pace, scared a
team of work horses into the ditch, and settled down to a steady whiz.

We were getting away from Santa Ysobel a good deal further and a good
deal faster than I felt I could afford. I took a chance and remarked, to
nobody in particular, and in a loud voice,

"I asked Barbara not to make a break with Cummings; it would be awkward
for us now if she did."

"Break?" Worth gave me back one of my words.

"Yes. I was afraid she might throw him down for the carnival ball."

Without comment or reply, he slowed gently for the big turn where the
Medlow road comes in, swept a handsome circle and headed back. Then he
remarked,

"Thought I'd show you what the little boat could do under my management.
Eddie had her in fair shape, but I've tuned her up a notch or two
since."

I responded with proper enthusiasm, and would have been perfectly
willing to be let out at Main Street. But he turned the corner there,
ran on to the garage, jumped out and followed me in. Bill, selling some
used tires to a customer in the office, nodded and l