omething
under a hundred and eighty miles an hour in the effort to overtake
us?"

"I'm beaten", laughed Dr. Bentley. "I take it all back. I agree
that the appearances are all against me. But I didn't know that
you young scions of Gridley were on the road. I was driving fast
in order to bring the ladies to Ashbury in time for luncheon.
And now, they won't get it."

"Small loss to them, and great gain to us," smiled Dick. "We
have provisions enough in our wagon to offer all the luncheon
that your party can possibly care to eat."

"No, no! We've encroached upon your hospitality too often in
the past," replied Dr. Bentley, with a shake of his head. "We
won't be delayed long. Just how long, Reade, do you think it
is going to take us to fit on the new tire?"

"The car ought to be ready to run again in fifteen minutes," Tom
answered truthfully.

"And we can make Ashbury in another fifteen minutes," Laura's
father continued. "So we won't rob the pantry of Dick & Co. to-day."

Dick and three of his chums conducted Mrs. Bentley and the five
high school girls in under the trees. Of course the girls wanted
to see the outfit, though it was now packed on the wagon.

"Are you going far, this trip?" Dick inquired.

"Ashbury will be the end of our run," Mrs. Bentley answered.

"And of ours, too," Dick nodded. "We agreed to that this morning."

"But we are to stay at Ashbury two or three days," Laura added.
"Dad has been making arrangements for us at the hotel there,
and he calls it a fine summer place. We know some people who
are stopping there now, so we are going to have a pleasant little
time of it, I expect. When do you reach Ashbury, Dick?"

"To-night," Prescott answered.

"Mother," Laura went on, "aren't you going to invite the boys
to luncheon at the hotel tomorrow?"

"I shall be delighted to do so, if they will accept," replied
Mrs. Bentley smiling.

"We'd cause a sensation in the hotel, wouldn't we?" laughed Danny
Grin, looking down ruefully at his dusty "hike clothes."

"You have other clothing with you, haven't you?" asked Susie Sharp.

"Nothing better than what we're wearing now," Greg replied.

"Come, just the same, anyway," urged Mrs. Bentley. "You boys
are on a rough trip, and you're not expected to have large wardrobes
with you. So I shall expect you all at the Ashbury Terraces by
noon to-morrow."

"And there's to be a dance there to-morrow night," Belle continued,
a trifle mischie