eering wheel. "It is tiring, at first,
but one soon becomes used to it. How did you like it, Cousin Mary?"

"It was delightful, my dear, purely delightful; but I will own that I
shall be glad to walk again." She alighted from the car of the twins. The
two sisters got down, and Belle went around to look at one of the rear
tires. She had a suspicion, amounting to a conviction, that it had gone
flat. It had.

"I'll let the garage man attend to it," she said. "I'm too anxious now
to get some nice warm water, soap and a large towel."

"Me for a large, juicy towel!" exclaimed Walter, coming up with Norton.
"Will you have yours boiled or stewed?"

"Silly! I don't call that a joke!"

"You don't need to; it comes without calling."

"That's worse," declared Bess, trying to get some of the road dust off
her face with a very small handkerchief.

"Well, we're here, anyhow!" put in Norton, "I don't think much of the
hotel, though."

"It will do very nicely," answered Cora somewhat coldly. She was not
quite sure whether she was going to like Norton or not. He did not seem
to improve upon acquaintance, and she was a little sorry that Jack had
asked him on the trip. Still, she reflected, one can easily be mistaken
about boys. Perhaps his flippant manner might be due to nervousness, or a
diffidence in not knowing how to say the right thing at the right time.

"We're here--because we're here!" exclaimed Walter. "That's more than can
be said for Jack and Ed."

"Are they in sight?" asked Cora, looking down the long straight road--the
main street of Fairport--by which they had entered the town.

"Not yet," answered Bess. "Oh, do let's get into the hotel!" she
exclaimed. "A crowd is collecting, and I do so want a drink of cold water."

"Hot tea for me," spoke Belle. "Hot tea with a slice of lemon in it."

"Since Belle went to that Russian tea-fest last winter she always takes
lemon in her tea," explained her sister. "Ugh! I can't bear it!" Bess was
nothing if not certain in her likes and dislikes.

"It's really the only way to drink tea, my dear," said Belle, with an
affected society drawl. "It's so--so mussy with cream and sugar in it,"
and she spread out her hands in aesthetic horror--or something to simulate
that.

"I think I shall be satisfied with just plain tea," voiced Cora, as she
took another look down the road for her brother. "Come on, girls--and
boys!" she added.

A little throng was beginning to gather in front