Part 30 (1/2)

”What's this I hear about Grace going out with a young millionaire named Waltham?” he asked, curiously.

”I can't tell you much more than what you've already heard, John,” she answered.

”I thought Grace had her eyes set on Sam Rover,” went on the husband, looking sharply at his wife.

”That is what I thought myself. But it seems this young millionaire has been calling on his sister at Hope, and he's been taking his sister and Grace out in his automobile and acting very nicely about it. Grace seems to be quite taken with him.”

”Huh! A young millionaire, eh? Maybe he's only amusing himself with her.

You had better caution her about him.”

”No, John, I don't think that would do any good. In fact, it might do a great deal of harm,” declared the wife. ”Grace is old enough to know what she is doing.”

”Yes, but if she has made some promises to Sam Rover----”

”I am not sure that she has made any promises. Sam has been very attentive to her,--but just because Tom married Nellie is no reason why Grace should marry Sam.”

”Oh, I know that. But, somehow, I thought they had it all settled between 'em, and I certainly like Sam. He's a nice, clean-cut boy.”

”Yes. I like Sam, too.” Mrs. Laning heaved a deep sigh. ”But, just the same, we had better not interfere. You know how it was when we got married,” and she looked fondly at her husband.

”You bet I do!” he returned, and then put his arm over her shoulder and kissed her gently. ”Well, let us hope it all comes out for the best,” he added, and walked off to go to work.

CHAPTER XX

A MOMENT OF PERIL

”This is the life!”

”That's right, Tom. This kind of touring suits me to death,” returned Sam Rover.

”Tom, how many miles an hour are you making?” broke in his wife.

”Remember what you promised me--that you would keep within the limit of the law.”

”And that is just what I am doing, Nellie,” he answered. ”But it's mighty hard to do it, believe me, when you are at the wheel of such a fine auto as this. Why, I could send her ahead twice as fast if I wanted to!”

”Don't you dare!” burst out Grace, who sat in the tonneau beside her sister. ”If you do I'll make you let Sam drive.”

”He's got to let me drive anyway after dinner,” said the youngest Rover boy. ”That's the arrangement.”

It was the second day of the tour, and Valley Brook Farm, and in fact the whole central portion of New York State, had been left far behind.

The weather had turned out perfect, and so far they had encountered very little in the way of bad roads. Once they had had to make a detour of two miles on account of a new bridge being built, but otherwise they had forged straight ahead.

Tom and his wife, with Grace and Sam, occupied the first automobile, the remaining s.p.a.ce in the roomy tonneau being taken up by various suitcases and other baggage. Behind this car came the one driven by d.i.c.k Rover.

Beside him was his wife, with Mrs. Stanhope and Mrs. Laning behind them.

Some distance to the rear was the third machine, a brand-new runabout, containing Chester Waltham and his sister Ada. Waltham had at first wished to take the lead, but had then dropped behind, stating he did not wish to get the others to follow him on any wrong road.

”You go ahead,” he had said to the Rovers. ”Then if you go wrong you will have only yourselves to blame.”