ring Club of France. Only those inn-keepers
whose houses and whose tables attain a certain standard, not of style
but of simple cleanliness and of wholesome excellence of food, are
admitted to this company. I have seen the certificate of the roll of
honour hanging on the walls of more than one country inn in France.

It is to the credit of the many places in which we halted for the night
that in only one did we find conditions impossible. We slept in a rather
indifferent bed-chamber, having reached the inn late. But when we saw
the dining-room the following morning, we paid our bill and fled;
driving on twenty miles farther for a late breakfast. Surely the average
commercial man of the United States who travels in country districts
year in and year out must have a charmed digestion and an iron-clad
constitution. He may well rejoice that the days of motoring have come,
for with the motorist is coming not only the broad Highway, but the
clean and comfortable inn. Not necessarily the fashionable hotel, with
its expensive and extravagant accessories; but the clean, immaculately
kept country inn, with its excellent cooking of the abundant food in
which our country is so rich. Perhaps we shall need to import some Swiss
inn-keeper to tell us how to do it. Whether we do or do not, the man who
knows how and the man who is willing to live up to his knowledge will
inevitably displace the inn-keeper who is careless and indifferent. The
biggest bid for a motor tourist is a clean bed-chamber, a comfortable
bed, and a well cooked though simple dinner.

If I were crossing the Lincoln Highway again I should take with me a
spirit lamp, a little sauce pan, some boxes of biscuits, some excellent
tea, some cocoa and other supplies. Not that this is a necessity. But it
would be very pleasant to have a luncheon or a cup of afternoon tea al
fresco, now and then.

For our own comfort and convenience we laid down for ourselves certain
rules of the road.

First: We did not wear our good clothes. The long, dusty journeys are
very hard upon clothing, and for a lady a comfortable light weight tweed
suit with plenty of washable blouses with rolling collars, covered by an
ample motor coat, gives the greatest comfort and satisfaction. The dust
of the plains is ground into one's clothing and one should be ready for
this. The requirements of the hotels along the road are very simple, and
a fresh blouse will usually be all that is needed. We took care