Part 10 (1/2)
At the unexpected sight of a red rag wildly waved by a very graceful little figure in a gray traveling suit, he looked surprised but promptly put on his brakes He leapt fro toward her while Betty descended from her perch just in time tothe matter?” he asked, in a nice voice that Betty i about him, from his sunburned face and merry blue eyes to his triave him a friendly little smile that showed all her dimples, much to his secret ad with a chuckle: ”If there hadn't been, I shouldn't have been perched on that old rock, waving a ridiculous red dust rag!”
Then, as they made their way around the turn in the road toward the car where Mrs Ford and the girls aiting for the with another smile: ”You see, I had to stop you some way, so I chose the very first method I could think of”
”It certainly was effective,” he answered, sirls learned that their new friend's na, a village about five ht him to so sudden a stop, the youth went to ith a will at the tire while the girls alternately watched hi him the tools he needed
In what seeirls he had finished his task and had pulled out a handkerchief and iping his begrihed Mollie, patting the new tire happily ”You did in fifteen minutes what five of us couldn't do in half an hour”
”You were probably tired,” he answered, glancing at the car, which gave unmistakable evidence of the many miles they had come that day ”Are you, have you--” he hesitated, evidently not knohether his question would be taken in good part or not ”Are you going very hed Betty, then added in answer to his startled glance: ”Not to-night, though We are just going as far as Bensington”
”But Bensington is about fifteen lanced up at a lowering gray cloud overhead: ”And if I know anything about weather signs, you will have to use soet there before the stor his glance, while Mollie added petulantly:
”Goodness, haven't we had enough troubles for one day without getting a drenching into the bargain?”
”But we haven't got the drenching yet,” Mrs Ford re, with a cordial smile as she held out her hand to Joe Barnes: ”We don't kno to thank you Mr Barnes, for taking all this trouble for us”
”Please don't,” he begged, flashi+ng his nice slad to have been of assistance And now, if I lance at the oer and blacker even in these fewunceremoniously to their seats while Joe Barnes lifted his hat and stood waiting for them to start Once his eyes rested upon Betty, and there was so uised admiration in them that she flushed prettily and threw in the clutch with a jerk that was not at all skillful
”Good-bye,” they called, and ”good-bye,” he answered, as the two cars sprang forward in a cloud of dust Not until they were out of sight did Joe Barnes turn away and retrace his steps toward his deserted motorcycle
”Joe,his head over the irl in ahisreflectively at the road in front of it, ”why I didn't ask if I h at hie of an accident--Where was it they said they were stopping for the night? Oh, yes, Bensington Well, he ht even be kind to hiain and started his motor
Meanwhile Grace, who had noticed Joe Barnes' expressive glance in Betty's direction and the latter's subsequent confusion, commented upon the coincidence
”Goodness, Betty,” she drawled lightly, ”I always knew you were a heart breaker, but I never saw you make a conquest in so short a ti”
Betty gave an annoyed little laugh
”Don't be foolish, Gracie,” she co reflectively as she skillfully avoided a rock in the road: ”He fully nice looking though, and pleasant”
”Of course!”
”But I couldn't help wondering,” Betty went on, as though talking to herself, ”why he was here at all when his country needs hie,”and apparently healthy boy on this side of the water these days, unless he's in khaki I wonder if our knight by the wayside is by any chance one of those insects we ter in quick defense: ”No, I'ood chance to study both types, and he doesn't look like a slacker”
”Granted,” agreed Grace, adding with a quick change of mood: ”Just the sa at his own free will about the country, evidently enjoying life, while our boys are giving up everything--”
”But, if Joe Barnes isn't a slacker,” Betty re our boys the right to 'give up everything'”