E-text prepared by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed Proofreading
Team (http://www.pgdp.net)
Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this
file which includes the original illustrations.
See 36320-h.htm or 36320-h.zip:
(https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/36320/pg36320-images.html)
or
(https://www.gutenberg.org/files/36320/36320-h.zip)
[Illustration: WHEN THE TRAIN STOPPED AT THE PALM BEACH STATION, THERE
WAS THE COMET WAITING FOR THEM.--Page 14.]
THE MOTOR MAIDS BY PALM AND PINE
by
KATHERINE STOKES
Author of "The Motor Maids' School Days," etc.
M. A. Donohue & Company
Chicago--New York
Copyright, 1911,
by
Hurst & Company
Made in U. S. A.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I. To the Sunny South 5
II. Making New Acquaintances 19
III. Timothy's Drowning 37
IV. A Race and What Came of It 50
V. The Two Edwards 64
VI. The Gray Motor Car 79
VII. The Coward 94
VIII. Mr. Duffy Gives a Party 111
IX. The Bullfrog and the Pollywog 128
X. The Song of the Motor 138
XI. The Orange Grove 150
XII. An Unwished Wish 161
XIII. In the Deep Woods 173
XIV. The Mocking Bird 186
XV. Out of the Wilderness 196
XVI. Mrs. L'Estrange 208
XVII. A Morning Call 220
XVIII. It's an Ill Wind 234
XIX. A Passage at Arms 246
XX. The Hand of Destiny 258
XXI. Picnicking Under the Pines 270
XXII. The Last of the House of Troubles 280
XXIII. Explanations 291
XXIV. So Endeth the Second Lesson 298
THE MOTOR MAIDS BY PALM AND PINE
CHAPTER I.--TO THE SUNNY SOUTH.
The Atlantic Ocean and the breadth of Europe including half of Russia
lay between Mr. Duncan Campbell and his daughter, Wilhelmina. But that
did not prevent Mr. Campbell from thinking of numerous delightful
surprises for Billie and her three friends in West Haven.
Sometimes it was a mere scrawl of a note hastily written at some small
way station, saying: "Here's a check for my Billie-girl. Treat your
friends to ice-cream sodas and take 'em to the theater. Don't forget
your old Dad."
Sometimes the surprise took the form of queer foreign-looking packages
addressed to "the Misses Campbell, Butler, Brown and Price," containing
strange articles made by the peasants in the far-away land. He sent them
each a Cossack costume with high red boots and red sashes. But some
three weeks before the Easter holidays came the best surprise of all.
"I believe the Comet needs a change of air," wrote Mr. Campbell. "A fine
automobile must have as careful handling as a thoroughbred horse, or,
for that matter, a thoroughbred young lady. What does my Billie-girl say
to an Easter trip to Florida with Cousin Helen as guardian angel and Nan
and Nell and Moll for company and the Comet for just his own sweet
self?"
Mr. Campbell, who received long, intimate letters from his daughter once
a week, felt that he knew the girls almost as well as she did, and he
would call them by abbreviated, pet names in spite of Billie's
remonstrances.
"It so happens," the letter continued, "that my old friend, Ignatius
Donahue, who holds the small, unimportant, poorly-paid position of
vice-president of an insignificant railroad, not knowing that I was
digging trenches in Russia, has offered me the use of his private car,
including kitchen stove, chef and other necessities. I have answered
that I accept the invitation, not for self, but for daughter and friends
and Comet; which latter must have free transportation on first-class
fast-going freight, or he is no friend of mine. You will be hearing from
Ignatius now pretty soon. Your old dad will be answerable for all other
expenses, including hotel and-so-forth and if the and-so-forth is bigger
than the hotel bill, he'll never even chirp. Life is short and time is
fleeting and young girls must go South in the winter when they have a
chance."
So, that is how the Motor Maids happened to be the four busiest young
women in West Haven--what with those abominable High School examinations
which always came about this time, and the getting together of a Palm
Beach wardrobe.
And that is also how, one cold wet day at the end of March, they found
themselves lolling in big comfortable chairs in Mr. Donahue's private
car while the train whizzed southward.
It had been a bustle and a rush at the last moment and they were glad to
leave West Haven, which was a dreary, misty little place at that time of
the year.
Miss Campbell leaned back in her wicker chair and regarded her four
charges proudly. How neat they looked in their pretty traveling suits
and new spring hats!
"I am so glad they are young girls and not young ladies," she was
thinking, when her meditations were interrupted by Sam, the colored chef
and porter combined, whose arms were laden with packages.
"Why, what are you bringing us, Sam?" asked the little lady with some
curiosity.
"With Mr. Donahue's compliments, ma'am, and he hopes the ladies won't
git hungry and bored on the journey," replied Sam, depositing the
packages on a chair and drawing it up within Miss Campbell's reach.
"Dear me, children," she exclaimed excitedly, "look what this nice man
has sent us. I feel like a girl again myself. A beautiful bunch of
violets apiece----"
"And a big box of candy," exclaimed Nancy Brown.
"And all the latest magazines," added Billie Campbell, laughing.
"What a dear he is," finished Elinor Butler, fastening on her violets
with a long lavender pin; while Mary Price gave her own violets a
passionate little squeeze.
"I hopes," went on Sam, shifting from one foot to the other, "I hopes
the ladies ain't goin' to eat so much candy they won't have no appetite
for they dinner. We g'wine have spring chicken to-night, an' fresh green
peas an' new asparagrass, an' strawbe'ies. I'd be mighty sorry if de
ladies don' leave no space for my dinner. Marse Donahue he don' kill de
fatted ca'f fo' dis here 'casion."
"Sam, we'll close the candy box this minute," said Miss Campbell. "And
you needn't bring us any tea this afternoon. You need feel no uneasiness
about your spring chickens and your new peas. I shall write to Mr.
Donahue myself as soon as I get to Palm Beach and thank him for his
kindness."
"He's a very nice gemman, he is that," observed Sam.
"Is he a young man, Sam?" asked Nancy, with young girl curiosity.
"He ain't to say young or old, Missy. He don' took his stan' on the
dividin' line an' thar he stan'."
"How long has he been standing there, Sam?" put in Elinor.
"I knowed the gemman twenty years an' he ain't never stepped off yit."
The private car rang with their cheerful laughter.
"He must be a wonderful man," said Miss Campbell. "I wish he would teach
me his secret."
"His secret is, ma'am, he ain't never got married and had no fambly
troubles to age his countenance," answered Sam.
"But," cried Miss Campbell, "I've never been married either, and I'm
white-haired and infirm."
"You infirm, ma'am! You de youngest one in de lot," answered the colored
man, turning his frankly admiring gaze on the pretty little lady as he
backed down the car, grinning, and disappeared in his own quarters.
"You see, Cousin," said Billie, patting Miss Campbell's cheek, "you must
never try to make people believe again that you are old. You are a
pretty young lady gone gray before her time."
It was plain that Mr. Ignatius Donahue was very much pleased with the
arrangements he had made with his old friend, Duncan Campbell. All along
the journey he had fresh surprises for his five guests. At one place
came a big basket of fruit; at another station a colored woman climbed
on the train and presented each of them with a splendid magnolia in full
bloom, that filled the car with its fragrance.
"With Mr. Donahue's compliments, ma'am; an' he says he hopes the ladies
is enjoyin' they selves," she added as she gave Miss Campbell the
largest blossom in the bunch.
"Dear, dear," cried Miss Campbell. "One would think Mr. Donahue were
taking this journey with us. He is so attentive. Is he anywhere around
here?"
"No, ma'am," interrupted Sam, with a warning look at the colored woman.
"Marse Donahue, he jes' give orders and specs 'em to be kerried out like
he says."
"I feel as if Mr. Donahue were a sort of spirit always hovering near
us," said Billie, when the two colored people had disappeared, "a kind
of guardian angel. I wish papa had told us something about him."
"A very substantial spirit," observed Miss Campbell, "showering upon us
all these gifts of fruits and flowers and candy."
"What does Mr. Donahue look like, Sam," Nancy asked the colored man
later. "Is he tall and thin?"
"No, ma'am; he ain't what you might call tall. An' he ain't short
neither.
"Medium, then?"
"Not jes' exactly mejum, neither, ma'am."
"Go way, Sam. You don't know what he is. I don't believe you ever saw
Mr. Donahue."
"Ain't I don' tol' you I knowed Marse Donahue twenty years? But I
couldn't paint no picture of him, Missy."
"What color is his hair, Sam?" asked Mary.
"It ain't white an' it ain't black, neither, Missy."
Miss Campbell herself joined in the laughter which Sam's reply raised
and they asked no more questions about Mr. Donahue's appearance. But the
magnolias were not the last token from their mysterious host, who seemed
to have arranged everything with the greatest care and forethought. When
the train stopped at the Palm Beach station, there was the Comet waiting
for them like a faithful steed. The red motor had been shipped nearly a
week before, and the sight of his cheerful face was like meeting an old
friend.
"Sam, you just give Mr. Donahue _my_ compliments," exclaimed Billie,
patting the Comet affectionately, "and tell him that next to my father
he's the nicest man I ever knew, or rather didn't know, because I
haven't met him yet."
Sam bowed and scraped and grinned in the familiar manner of his race as
he helped the ladies into the car. A young chauffeur was at the wheel,
and Billie and Nancy crowded into the front seat beside him while the
others sat in the back as usual. For a long time the train had been
passing through a flat country, monotonous with palm trees and
undergrowth, and now they seemed to have broken into fairyland. The air
was laden with the scent of flowers and the sound of music floated to
them in the stillness.
"The concert in Cocoanut Grove," explained the chauffeur to Nancy and
Billie.
"Are we in heaven?" asked Mary Price, dreamily.
"It will be three weeks of heaven, I hope, my child," answered Miss
Campbell, patting the young girl's hand.
Those of you who have read the first volume of this series will recall
how Mary Price had been made the victim of a cruel conspiracy a few
months before, during which only the faith of her friends and a strange
combination of circumstances prevented her from being branded as a
thief. The unhappiness and anxiety which she had endured during that
trying time, followed by months of hard study, had sapped her strength,
and Mary more than any of the Motor Maids needed this change to a
southern climate.
"This is Lake Worth," observed the chauffeur, pointing to a beautiful
placid body of water, the little waves of which lapped the shores so
softly that the whir of the motor engine seemed out of place in that
quiet spot.
For the first time, the girls noticed the chauffeur. He seemed very
young to be running a machine; although Billie did not reflect that she
herself was not much past the sixteenth goal; but then she ran her own
machine, and he was a public chauffeur. He was a handsome boy with black
hair and blue eyes and he spoke with a soft, beautiful accent.
Billie was about to ask him a question, when they drew up in front of
the great hotel where their rooms had been engaged for days in advance.
A curious thing happened in connection with their chauffeur while the
Motor Maids and Miss Campbell stood in a group at the hotel desk waiting
for the busy clerk to give them his attention. The boy had gallantly
helped them out of the car, carried in their suitcases and satchels and
placed them in a pile, and Miss Campbell had extended her hand with the
usual tip, when a muscular-looking man with smooth face and burnsides,
touched the chauffeur respectfully on the shoulder.
"I beg your pardon, Mr. Edward," he said in a low voice, "your
grandmother is waiting to see you."
"My grandmother waiting to see me?" repeated the chauffeur with
amazement.
The English servant, for that was evidently what he was, gave him a long
and searching look and stepped backward with a puzzled expression on his
face.
"You've made a mistake, I reckon," said the boy, smiling gently.
"Beg pardon, sir," replied the man and moved quickly away.
Miss Campbell, who liked the looks of Edward, as he by a curious
coincidence happened also to be named, and was taken with his quiet,
respectful manners, engaged him on the spot to be their chauffeur and
guide, since they were unfamiliar with the roads.
"I can run a motor-boat, too, ma'am," he said.
And that was another reason for taking him into their service; for they
had planned to take many a sail on the placid waters of Lake Worth and
to picnic along those verdant shores.