TOO CONFIDENT
"Mother will be so disappointed not to get her berries," remarked
Bess, as she and Belle, in their little _Flyaway_, got out on the
road, following Cora.
"But Cora did wonderfully well, I think," replied the sister, "to get
the better of that horrid woman. She was going to sell two crates, and
she only actually sold the crate which she insisted Andy should pay
for. It takes Cora--she is a born leader."
"It certainly was diplomatic," agreed Bess, "and I suppose we can come
out to-morrow for the others. Mother was not particular about having
them done up at once. But weren't those girls queer? And how
stage-like little Nellie looked with those fierce dogs at her side,
and the boys standing around her? I declare I think that would make a
play."
"Better try your hand at it," suggested Belle. "I always thought you
had some hidden talent. It may now be discovered."
"And do you think the girls are going to do something desperate?"
asked Bess, throwing in more speed, and brushing along at a lively
rate over the broad country road.
"I am sure they are going to do something very unusual, but whether it
may be desperate, or simply foolish, would be impossible to surmise
with any degree of certainty," replied the judicious Belle. "I fancy
they intend to--leave the strawberry patch, at least."
Cora turned, and called to Bess to look out for the "Thank-you-ma'ams"
that were so plentifully scattered over the hill they had just come
upon. Some were deep and long, she said, and with the ever-increasing
grade might stall an overworked engine. Following the advice, Bess
changed to low gear, and crawled up and down the hills, after the pace
set by Cora.
One very steep hill confronted them. The engines of both cars were
fairly "gasping for breath," and Cora, knowing that the hot radiators
could cook anything from cabbage to pork and beans, realized that it
was not wise to start up the hill until the engines had been cooled
off. Consequently the cars stopped near a spring house at the
roadside, and the girls alighted to get a refreshing drink. The door
was unlocked, and a clear, clean glass stood on a small shelf, just
inside the low building.
"Did you ever see anything so delightful?" exclaimed Belle, while Cora
dipped the glass in the square, cement-lined pool, and brought it up
filled with the coolest, and most sparkling water imaginable.
"And was it just built for--roadsters?" asked Bess, taking the
proffered drink.
"Oh, no indeed," said Cora with a laugh. "These spring houses are the
farm refrigerators. In this, every evening, I suppose many, many
quarts of milk are put to cool for the creamery. I have often seen a
spring house just filled with the big milk cans."
"Oh," answered Bess, intelligently. "That's a good idea. Just think
how much money we could save on ice if we had a spring house."
"Maybe if we had one, you would be able to cool off sometimes,"
remarked her sister teasingly. "You look as if you needed a dip this
very minute."
The red cheeks of Bess certainly did look overheated, and the way she
plied her handkerchief betrayed her discomfort.
"An internal dip will do nicely, thank you," answered the girl. "I
don't see that I am any warmer than the rest of you."
"Here comes a girl from the house," said Cora, as down the path a
girl, in generous sunbonnet, and overgenerous apron, was seen to
approach.
"Do they wear their sunbonnets to bed?" asked Belle. "I am sure there
is no sun now."
"Father will be down in a minute with the team," called out the girl,
much to the surprise of the motor girls.
"Mercy!" exclaimed Belle, "are we going to be arrested?"
"I think not," replied Cora; "however, we are trespassing, though I
did think farmer folks very--liberal, especially with their spring
water."
"The girl is smiling like a 'basket of chips,'" said Bess, almost in a
whisper. "It is not likely that she is angry with us at all."
"Did you get a nice drink?" asked the strange girl, with unmistakable
friendliness.
"Oh, yes, thank you very much," spoke up Cora, "but I am afraid we are
trespassing."
"Not at all," said the girl. "My name is Hope--Hope Stevens," she said,
in the most delightfully simple manner. "I always like to introduce
myself--'specially to young girls."
"We are very glad to know you, Hope," said Cora. "This is Miss Bess
Robinson, this Miss Belle Robinson, and I am Cora Kimball."
"Oh, I know who you are now," declared Hope. "They call you the Motor
Girls."
"I am afraid they do," agreed Bess. "But then we are just plain girls
as well--our motors do not make us--we try to make them--go!"
"That is what father said when he saw you come over yonder hill, when
he left the field to get the team. Do you know he makes more money
hauling folks with automobiles up this hill, than he does on the farm?
He always stops his work and gets the team ready when he sees an auto
stuck out here."
"Oh, that is what he intended to do," said Cora. "Well, it was very
good of him to be so prompt, but we are always able to make our own
hills--I don't really think we will need him."
"Lots of folks think that way," said Hope. "But, of course, you ought
to know--best. Do you think you can get up the hill?"
"Yes. You see these are practically new machines," explained Cora,
"and we have been taught to run them carefully."
"Pa says that girls are more careful than men," added Hope, and Belle
kept her eyes on the pretty face beneath the bonnet. She thought she
had never seen such dimples, and such splendidly marked brows.
"There comes pa now," went on the girl. "He will be----"
"Disappointed, of course. It was too bad for him to leave the fields,"
said Cora.
"Well, the rest won't hurt his poor back," ventured Hope. "Pa works
harder than any of the hired men, and these are very bad hills to
farm."
"Are you ready, young ladies?" called the man from the road, as he
backed the sturdy team of horses up close to the _Whirlwind_. "I guess
this little machine can hitch behind t'other."
"Really, we do not think we will need any help," said Cora, rather
confused. "We always take hills without trouble."
"Never been up this one though," declared the farmer, with a shake of
his broad-brimmed hat. "I reckon you'll not be able to fly over the
top."
"It's awfully good of you," put in Bess. "But suppose we try? You see
we do not want to break our records."
"Plucky, all right," the man commented. "Well, go ahead, and I'll stop
to chat with Hope. If you get stuck just give me five quick toots, and
I'll be there."
The girls thanked him profusely, and after cranking up both the
_Flyaway_ and the _Whirlwind_, said good-bye to Hope and her father,
and started off, both machines on low gear.
"It is steep," remarked Belle to Bess. "Perhaps it would have been
well to have taken his offer."
"All right?" asked Cora from ahead, as she looked back.
"Thus far," replied Bess, clutching the wheel with nervous energy, and
slightly retarding the spark.
Suddenly the _Whirlwind_ stopped--but only for an instant, for directly
the big four-cylinder car began to back down the steep grade, while
Bess and Belle shouted in terror for Cora to turn into the gutter!
Not knowing how deep and dangerous this gutter was, Cora directed the
runaway machine well into the side, vainly trying to make the brakes
hold.
The next moment there was a crash!
The _Whirlwind_, with Cora in the car, was ditched--turned over on its
side!
Bess tooted the horn of the _Flyaway_ frantically!
Then she was able to bring her car to a standstill, and run to Cora's
assistance.