girl beside him, he added, "How are you
feeling, Betty? Awfully shaken up?"

"Not a bit," she assured him, gaily. "Why, after the first shock I
really enjoyed it."

"That's the way to talk and I'm mighty glad no one's hurt. Now for
home."

After a great number of half starts and sudden stops they succeeded
finally in backing the great machine away from the haystack and out on
the road again.

"Now remember your promise," cried Grace as they started off. "No more
speeding, Frank, and no more hills."

"Right," he sang back, cheerily. "We have had excitement enough for one
day. Just watch me."

And, true to his word, after an hour's roundabout trip, they swung
quietly into Deepdale, without having encountered further mishap on the
way.

CHAPTER III

FORTUNES

Early the next morning Mollie hailed Betty as the Little Captain went up
the street.

"Where to, so early?" she called. "Why didn't you stop for me?"

"Oh, I was going to Amy's first, to find out how Mrs. Stonington is,"
said Betty as she turned back. "Then I was going to stop in to see if
you would go with me to call on Grace. I promised her last night I would
come over this morning."

"But isn't it early?" said Mollie, doubtfully. "Probably Grace won't
even be up yet."

The Little Captain seated herself comfortably on the board step of the
veranda. "Yes she will," she said decidedly. "I told her yesterday that
if I came over this morning and found her in bed eating candy before
breakfast instead of enjoying the wonderful morning air, I'd never come
over again. She knows that I mean it, too."

"Well, in that case, she may be up," laughed Mollie. "If you will wait a
minute I'll go with you to Amy's," she added and ran lightly into the
house.

The girls found Mrs. Stonington very much improved and Amy only too glad
to get out into the glorious sunshine of the summer morning.

As the three chums, clad daintily in white, with a background of velvety
green lawn to set them off, approached the Fords' beautiful home, they
were surprised beyond measure to see Grace swinging leisurely back and
forth in the big hammock under the trees. They stopped short and gazed
upon this spectacle.

"And she's not eating chocolates either," remarked Amy in an awe-struck
voice. "What can have happened?"

"I wish you would stop gazing at me like that," said Grace, raising her
head and looking at the three girls who were still regarding her
fixedly. "Is it my