tten [Transcriber's
note: forgotten?]. But for only a moment.

"And to think how we 've wanted an automobile!" she cried, when the
impromptu omelet in her lap had been banished into oblivion. "The
rides we 'll have--and _we_ won't be pigs! _We 'll_ take our friends!"

"Indeed we will," agreed Herbert.

"And our trips and vacations, and even down town--why, we won't need
any carfare. We 'll save money, Herbert, lots of money!"

"Er.--well, an auto costs something to run, you know," ventured Herbert.

"Gasoline, 'course!--but what's a little gasoline? I fancy we can
afford that when we get the whole car for nothing!"

"Well, I should say!" chuckled the man.

"Where is it now?"

"In the garage on the estate," returned Herbert, consulting his letter.
"I'm requested to take it away."

"Requested! Only fancy! As if we were n't dying to take it away!"

"Yes, but--how?" The man's face had grown suddenly perplexed.

"Why, go and get it, of course."

"But one can't walk in and pocket a motor-car as one would a package of
greenbacks."

"Of course not! But you can get it and run it home. It's only fifty
miles, anyhow."

"I don't know how to run an automobile. Besides, there's licenses and
things that have to be 'tended to first, I think."

"Well, _somebody_ can run it, can't there?"

"Well, yes, I suppose so. But--where are we going to keep it?"

"Herbert Wheeler, one would think you were displeased that we 've been
given this automobile. As if it mattered _where_ we kept it, so long
as we had it to keep!"

"Yes, but--really, Jessica, we can't keep it here--in the kitchen," he
cried. "It's smashed two eggs already, just the mention of it," he
finished whimsically.

"But there _are_ places--garages and things, Herbert; you know there
are."

"Yes, but they--cost something."

"I know it; but if the car is ours for nothing, seems as if we might be
able to afford its board and keep!"

"Well, by George! it does, Jessica; that's a fact," cried the man,
starting to his feet. "There 's Dearborn's down to the Square. I 'll
go and see them about it. They 'll know, too, how to get it here. I
'll go down right after supper. And, by the way, how about that
omelet? Did our new automobile leave any eggs to make one?"

"Well, a few," laughed Jessica.

There was no elation in Herbert Wheeler's step when, two hours later,
the young bank teller came home from Dearborn's.

"Well, I guess we--we're up