Part 29 (1/2)

”Yes, Dora, provided it is clear,” answered Sam. ”Of course there is no use of our starting our trip in a storm. We'll probably get enough rain while we are on the way.”

”Look here, Sam, don't be a wet blanket!” cried Tom, catching his younger brother by the shoulder and whirling him around. ”This trip is going to be perfectly clear from end to end. I've ordered nothing but suns.h.i.+ne and moonlight,” and at this remark there was a general laugh.

The young folks were a.s.sembled on the lawn in front of the old Rover homestead at Valley Brook. About two weeks had pa.s.sed since Grace and Sam had graduated, and during that time the various arrangements for taking the tour to the West had been completed by the Rover boys. In the meantime, Fourth of July had been spent in Cedarville, at the Laning homestead, where all had had a glorious time.

”I'm awfully sorry that Songbird and Minnie can't go with us on this trip,” remarked d.i.c.k, ”but I know exactly how poor Songbird feels.”

”Yes, he told me he felt he had to go to work,” returned Sam. ”He wants to do his best to earn that four thousand dollars.”

”That's some job for a fellow just out of college to undertake,” was Tom's comment. ”What is he going to do for a living?”

”He has had a place offered to him by his uncle. He is to start at fifteen dollars a week, and he says his uncle will advance him as soon as he learns something about the business.”

”They haven't heard any more about that Blackie Crowden or the missing money?” questioned Nellie.

”Not a word. And it looks to me now as if they never would hear anything.”

”More than likely that fellow has got out of the country,” was d.i.c.k's comment. ”Especially if he has learned that the police are after him.”

”Oh, you can't tell about that,” broke in Tom. ”He may be hiding within a mile or two of where the crime was committed.”

It had been decided that the touring party should take two automobiles--that belonging to the Rovers and a new machine which was the property of Mrs. Stanhope, Dora's widowed mother. The party was to consist of d.i.c.k and Tom and their wives, Sam and Grace and Mrs. Stanhope and Mrs. Laning. Uncle Randolph and Aunt Martha had also been invited to go along, but both had declined, stating that they preferred to remain on the farm.

”I have some important scientific data on farming to gather,” had been Randolph Rover's explanation, ”and, besides that, I must oversee the building of that new addition to the house;” for since the marriage of d.i.c.k and Tom it had been decided to build a large wing on the old homestead, so that the young folks might be accommodated there whenever they cared to make a visit.

Aleck Pop, the faithful old colored servant of the Rovers, was still at the farm, as was Jack Ness, the man of all work, and both did all they could to aid the boys and girls to get ready for the tour.

”It's most won'erful how you young gen'lemen has done growed up,” was Aleck Pop's comment. ”It don't seem no time at all sence you all was boys at Putnam Hall,” and he grinned broadly, showing a mouthful of ivories.

”And to think two of 'em are married now and settled down!” added Jack Ness. ”I can't hardly believe it. First thing you know we'll have a lot of young Rovers runnin' around this farm.”

”Well, if they is any young Robers aroun' yere, I's gwine to serve 'em jest like I served the others,” answered Aleck Pop, and then went off, nodding his head vigorously to himself.

The only drawback to the proposed tour, so far as Sam was concerned, was the fact that Chester Waltham and his sister Ada were going to accompany them as far as Colorado Springs. Then the Walthams proposed to continue to the Pacific Coast, while the Rovers were to return to the East.

”Are those two people going in a big touring car all by themselves?”

questioned Sam, when he heard of this arrangement.

”They are not going to take the touring car, Sam,” answered Grace. ”Ada wrote me that her brother had purchased a new runabout--a very speedy and comfortable car--and they are going to use that instead.”

”Humph! I don't see why they had to stick themselves in with our crowd,”

grumbled the youngest Rover. ”Why didn't they take the trip by themselves?”

”Well, maybe I am to blame for that,” answered Grace. ”I told Ada all about our proposed trip, and said I was sorry that she couldn't go with us. You must remember she treated me very nicely while we were at the seminary, especially after Dora and Nellie left.”

”Oh, I don't object to Ada,” answered Sam. ”Just the same, I think it would be nicer if we could go off by ourselves. Chester Waltham and his sister don't seem to fit in with us exactly.”

”Well, I think Chester Waltham is a very nice young man, and certainly he has given me some splendid rides,” answered Grace, and then walked off to join the others, leaving Sam to do some thinking which was not altogether agreeable.

The start was to be made from the farm, and the Walthams had written that they would be on hand early, stopping for the night at the hotel in Cornville, some miles away.