d their hands at Gerald as he let Jim and Ephraim out and
turned his machine toward home.

"You are both chauffeurs now, I suppose?" queried Aunt Betty, as the
pair came up the walk toward the house.

"Ephraim is, at least," laughed Jim.

"Yas'r, yas'r; I suah is," said Ephraim with a deep chuckle. "Dis
yere joy ridin' business am gittin' intuh mah blood. Nebber ain't
gone so fast in mah whole life as w'en Mistah Gerald done let dat
blame contraption out. Lordy, but we jes' flew!"

"Where did Jim come in?" Dorothy wanted to know.

"Oh, Mistah Gerald teached him how tuh run de machine, en den he
teached me. I tell yo' w'at, Miss Betty, I's gwine tuh be yo' shofer
all right, en I's gwine tuh be a mighty good one, too."

"He can hardly wait for Gerald to come back to-morrow," said Jim.

"Then Gerald is coming back, is he?" asked Dorothy.

"Yes; we can't learn to run his car in one lesson, you know. I reckon
I haven't much call to talk about Ephy's enthusiasm, for the fever's
in my blood, too."

"That's what they call 'automobilitis,'" said Aunt Betty.

"Well, whatever hit am, I's got it," said Ephraim, with a grave shake
of his head. Then he emitted another chuckle and walked away.

The next few days passed quickly.

Gerald came each afternoon, as he had promised, and before the
long-looked-for day arrived, both Jim and Ephraim were nearly as
proficient in the use of the car as he.

On Tuesday afternoon Molly Breckenridge arrived, as she had promised
in her letter, Dorothy, Jim and Metty meeting the train with the
barouche.

To describe the meeting between the girls would be impossible. A
bystander, observing the hugs and kisses they bestowed upon each
other, might well have wondered who they were, to be so lavish with
their affection.

"You dear, good girl!" Dorothy kept saying, over and over, each word
accented by another kiss.

Molly surprised Jim by kissing him rapturously on the cheek, an act
the boy did not like, but which he took with the good nature he knew
would be expected of him.

Later, in confidence, he confessed his displeasure to Gerald, which
caused that young man to go off into a fit of merriment.

"You're a funny fellow, Jim," he said, finally, when he had induced a
sober expression to remain on his face. "Most fellows would go
several miles out of their way to get a kiss from Molly Breckenridge.
But you, with kisses thrust upon you, are angry. Well, that may be
all right, but I do