's your coat. Now don't talk--act!" Mollie was commanding when
Grace took her firmly by her two shoulders and backed her up against the
wall.

"Now listen here, young lady," she said, looking sternly down into her
friend's laughing eyes. "It's my turn to talk. I refuse to budge another
step until you have explained, to my perfect satisfaction, the cause of
all this rush."

"Well, since you feel that way about it," laughed Mollie, "suppose you
let me--sit down."

"Will you tell me about it if I let you go? Promise!"

"Uh-huh," said Mollie, and so she was released. "There isn't much to
tell anyway," she went on. "Betty and I met Frank Haley and Will a few
minutes ago and Frank happened to remark that it was a splendid day for
an auto ride. We agreed with him--that's all."

"Fine--but where's Betty?" and Grace adjusted her tiny toque with care
before the huge mirror.

"Oh, she's coming, just as soon as she lets her mother know where she's
off to. We wanted Amy to go along too--stopped in there on the way
down--but Mrs. Stonington isn't feeling well and Amy thought she ought
to stay with her."

"I'm sorry for that. But would there have been room for all of us in
Frank's car, anyway?"

"Oh, yes, it's a big seven-passenger affair. Mr. Nelson says it is a
wonder. Just think! I can only squeeze five into mine," and Mollie drew
a long sigh at Fate.

"How ungrateful, Mollie--most girls would be glad of the chance to ride
around in a neat little machine like yours. Why, I'd even be thankful
for a tiny runabout."

"There it is now," Mollie said as a motor horn tooted insistently on the
drive below. "Don't let's keep them waiting."

"Hello, girls, we'd have been here sooner if Betty hadn't delayed us."
It was Frank Haley who spoke, a handsome young fellow, whose merry grey
eyes showed that he deserved his name--the first part of it, at least.
"Come, 'fess up, Betty," he added, turning to the bright-eyed,
rosy-cheeked girl beside him.

"I'm afraid I did keep them waiting, girls--about two minutes," Betty
Nelson admitted, then added in defense: "But I couldn't go looking the
way I was, you know."

"I don't see why not. I didn't see anything wrong."

"That doesn't prove a single thing, Frank," Grace retorted as he opened
the door for the girls. "Boys never do."

"Don't they though?" Frank objected. "Do you mean to say I don't know
that that little whatever-you-may-call-it in your hat is quite
considerable----"

"