The Auto Girls At Washington | Page 9

I shall ask Miss Hamlin to bring you to luncheon at the
Embassy."
To Barbara's relief Mr. William Hamlin now appeared at the door.
The Chinese minister again bowed profoundly to Barbara. "I was
looking for your smoking-room," he laughed, "but I found this young
woman instead."
As the two men went out of the room, Bab had difficulty in making
sure that she had not been dreaming of this fat, yellow gentleman.
"Barbara Thurston, what do you mean by running away by yourself?"
exclaimed Grace Carter, a moment later. "We have been looking for
you for ten minutes."
Hugh Post, Mollie and a strange young man were close behind Grace.
"I want to present my friend, Lieutenant Elmer Wilson," Hugh
announced. "He is a very important person in Washington."
"Not a bit of it," laughed the young man. "I am one of the President's
aides. I try to make myself generally useful."
"Your work must be very interesting," Barbara said quickly. "Do you--"
Just then a soft contralto voice interrupted her. "Are you ready to go
with me, Elmer?" it said.
Barbara recognized the voice as belonging to the Mrs. Wilson whom

she had met in the drawing room not an hour before. Could it be that
this young and lovely looking woman was the mother of Elmer Wilson?
Surely the young man was at least twenty-two years old.
"Coming in a moment, Mother," Elmer replied. "Have you said
good-bye to Harriet?"
"Harriet is not in the reception room now. Nearly all her guests have
gone," Mrs. Wilson murmured softly. "Mr. Hamlin is angry. But poor
Harriet ought to have a chance to talk for a few minutes to the richest
young man in Washington. I will leave you, Elmer. If you see Harriet,
you may tell her I did not think it fair to disturb her."
Barbara went back to the drawing-room to search for Ruth. She found
Ruth standing next her uncle, Mr. Hamlin, saying the adieux in
Harriet's place. A few moments later the last visitor had withdrawn and
Mr. Hamlin quickly left Ruth and Bab alone.
Mr. Hamlin was a small man, with iron gray hair, a square jaw and thin,
tightly closed lips. He seldom talked, and the "Automobile Girls" felt
secretly afraid of him.
"Uncle is dreadfully angry with Harriet," Ruth explained to Bab, after
Mr. Hamlin was out of hearing. "But he is awfully strict and I do not
think he is exactly fair. He does not give Harriet credit for what she
does, but he gets awfully cross if she makes any mistakes. Harriet is
upstairs, in her own sitting-room, talking to a great friend of hers. He is
a man Uncle hates, although he has known Charlie Meyers since
childhood. He is immensely rich, but he is very ill-bred, and that is why
Uncle dislikes him. I don't think Harriet cares a bit more for this young
man than she does for half a dozen others. But if Uncle doesn't look out
Harriet will marry him for spite. Harriet hates being poor. She is not
poor, really. But I am afraid she is terribly extravagant. Promise not to
laugh when you see Charlie Meyers. He looks a little like a pig, he is so
pink and fat."
"Girls!" called Harriet's voice. "Are you still in here? Mr. Meyers has
just gone, and I wanted you to meet him. He is going to have a motor

party and take you to see Mount Vernon. We can drive along the
Potomac and have our supper somewhere in the country."
"I'm going to drive Mr. A. Bubble, Harriet," Ruth replied. "As long as I
brought my car to Washington I must use it. But I suppose we can get
up guests enough to fill two automobiles, can't we?"
"Where's Father?" Harriet inquired, trying to conceal a tremor in her
voice. "Did he know I was upstairs?"
"I am afraid he did, Harriet," Ruth replied.
"Well, I don't care," declared Harriet defiantly. "I will select my own
friends. Charlie Meyers is stupid and ill-bred, but he is good natured,
and I am tired of position and poverty."
"You are no such thing, Harriet," protested Ruth, taking her cousin by
the hand and leading her to a long mirror. "There, look at yourself in
your yellow gown. You look like a queen. Please don't be silly."
"It's clothes that make the woman, Ruth," Harriet replied, kissing Ruth
unexpectedly. "And this yellow gown is just one of the things that
troubles me. Dear me, I am glad the reception is over!"

CHAPTER IV
AT THE CHINESE EMBASSY
"Shall we eat our luncheon with chopsticks to-day?" Mollie Thurston
asked Harriet Hamlin an hour before the "Automobile Girls" and their
hostess were to start for the Chinese Embassy.
Harriet