Part 20 (1/2)

Although he would not admit it even to himself, the youngest Rover was a good deal worried. What Tom had told him concerning Grace and the Walthams had been continually in his mind, and time and again he had wondered how he should broach the subject to Grace and what the answer of the girl would be.

”Of course she's got a right to go out with whom she pleases,” he told himself. ”But still I thought--well I thought it was all fixed between us, that's all.”

Sam was so occupied with his thoughts that he paid scant attention to the running of the automobile. As a consequence he went over a number of sharp stones, and a minute later there came a loud report from the rear of the machine.

”A blowout! Confound the luck!” he exclaimed, as he brought the automobile to a standstill. ”And just when I was in a hurry to get to Hope!”

There was nothing else to do, so, stripping himself of his overcoat and donning a jumper, Sam got out, taking with him some of the tools from under the automobile seat. It was a tire on one of the rear wheels which had blown out, and this wheel he now jacked up for the purpose of putting on a new shoe and inner tube. As luck would have it, the tire that had been cut fit very tightly, so that it was all the Rover boy could do to get it off the rim. He tugged and twisted, perspiring freely, but it was some time before he could even get the injured shoe started.

”If I can't get it off, what ever am I to do?” he mused. ”I must be at least half a mile from even a telephone, and the nearest garage is at Ashton. At this rate I'll never get to Hope.”

He continued to work over the tire, at last doing his best to pound it off with a bit of iron and a hammer. Then he gave a final wrench, which brought the tire off so suddenly that Sam was sent flat on his back in the dirt and slush of the road. It was an occurrence to try anybody's patience, and Sam arose in anything but a happy frame of mind. His back was covered with mud, and a good deal of the slushy water had penetrated to his skin.

”Ugh! of all the rank luck!” he muttered, as he shook himself. ”If I ever get this wheel mended I'll be a fine sight to present myself at a fas.h.i.+onable ladies' seminary. Why in the world didn't I look where I was driving, instead of rus.h.i.+ng right over such a prime collection of rough stones?”

But finding fault with himself did not mend matters, and so, casting the cut tire aside, Sam unstrapped one of the extra shoes he carried and got out another inner tube.

As if everything was to go wrong that afternoon, the new shoe proved to be as small as that which had been taken off, and as a consequence Sam had to work like a Trojan for the best part of half an hour before he finally got it into place.

”And now I've got to pump it up by hand,” he observed to himself, grimly, as he remembered that the power pump which had been installed on the engine was out of order and could not be used. Then he brought out the hand pump and set to work to fill the new tire with air.

Sam had the tire about three-quarters pumped up and was working away as vigorously as his somewhat exhausted condition would permit when he heard a honking of an automobile horn, and the next moment a machine came in sight around a turn of the highway. The car was a large and powerful one of foreign make, and was driven by a young man stylishly dressed, in a full suit of furs, and wearing automobile goggles. Behind him were two young ladies, also wearing furs, and with veils covering their faces.

”Tough luck!” sang out the young man at the wheel of the pa.s.sing car, and he waved one hand pleasantly towards Sam.

The youth had been bending over the hand pump, but now, as the other automobile swept by, he straightened up suddenly and stared with open eyes after the vanis.h.i.+ng turnout. He had not recognized the young man who was running the machine, but he had recognized the two young ladies in the tonneau of the car.

”Ada Waltham! And that was Grace with her!” he murmured. ”And if that's so, it must have been Chester Waltham who was running the car!”

CHAPTER XIV

DAYS OF WAITING

As Sam gazed after the vanis.h.i.+ng automobile a pang of bitterness swept through his heart. He remembered all that his brother had told him concerning Chester Waltham, and he also remembered that Grace had never mentioned the young millionaire.

”And she knew I was coming over to Hope just as soon as the roads made it safe and pleasant for automobiling,” he murmured to himself.

Neither of the young ladies in the tonneau of the car had looked back, so it was more than likely they had not recognized him as he was bending over the hand pump, inflating the new tire.

”But maybe she saw me after all and did not want to let on,” he thought dismally. ”Maybe she thought I wouldn't recognize her.”

What to do next was a problem for the young collegian. If Grace was not at the seminary he had no desire to call there. He continued to work over the tire, and soon it was properly inflated, and he put away the tools he had used. His face was a study, for he was doing some hard thinking.

”Well, I'll go to Hope anyway, and if she isn't there I'll leave my card, so she'll know I called. Then I'll see what she has to say about matters,” he told himself; and setting his teeth somewhat grimly he started up the automobile and continued his trip.

At the door of the seminary he was met by a maid, who brought him the information that Miss Laning was out. Then several girls who knew Sam came up, and one of them explained that Grace had gone automobiling.

”She went with Ada Waltham and her brother, Chester,” explained the girl student. ”You see, Chester has a brand new foreign car--a beauty--and he was very anxious to give his sister and Grace a ride. We thought he might have asked some of us to go along, but he didn't,” and the girl pouted slightly.