The Outdoor Girls in a Motor Car | Page 4

the girls rode along, enjoying to the utmost the swift, silent and easy motion, and drinking in the sweet air. They admired the views, too, for though they had been out with Mollie when she was taking her lessons, they had been so much occupied with watching her attempts to steer, and listening to the man's instructions, that they had not fully appreciated the beauty of the country through which they passed. And the country about Deepdale was beautiful.
"Are you going out Shadow Valley way?" asked Betty, as Mollie successfully made a turn into another highway, off the main one.
"No, not this time, though we must go there some day. I thought we'd motor to Farmington, and go home by way of Skillman."
"That's a nice way," said Grace. "Here, Mollie, open your mouth," and, as her chum did so, Grace inserted a chocolate, for Mollie had not yet enough confidence to take her hands from the steering wheel, except to shift gears, with the right.
They were going along a well-shaded road now, the big maples on either side meeting in an arch of green overhead. Some of the branches were so low that care had to be taken in passing under them, as Mollie had the top of the car up for protection.
As they approached one immense and ancient tree they saw a flutter of white amid the branches near the ground.
"What's that?" cried Betty.
"Look out!" exclaimed Grace.
The white object--large and fluttering--toppled from the tree, almost in front of the car, and with a little scream of fear Mollie gave the steering wheel such a sudden twist that the auto swerved and nearly upset. Across the road it shot on two wheels, and crashed into the bushes and briars that lined the highway.
Instinctively Mollie jammed on the brake, and threw out the clutch, the next instant shutting off the power, but so suddenly did she stop in the excess of her zeal that Grace and Amy were thrown from their seats, and Betty had to put out her hands to avoid hitting the wind shield.
CHAPTER II
A STRANGE GIRL
Mollie was the first to recover herself. Her position at the steering wheel had given her an advantage, in that she had something to hold to, and so was not tossed about as were her chums when the auto came to such a sudden stop.
"Oh, dear!" Mollie exclaimed, ruefully. "Are any of you hurt?"
She gazed back at Grace and Amy, having assured herself by a look at Betty beside her that the latter bore at least no visible injuries.
"I bumped my elbow--on the funny bone," said Grace.
"This is far from being funny," went on Mollie, half hysterical now.
"Stop it!" commanded Betty, getting control of her nerves, and then taking the situation in hand, as she so often did. "No one is hurt, and the car doesn't appear to be damaged, unless the stopping of the motor indicates that."
"No, I shut it off," said Mollie. "Amy, how about you?"
"Oh, I'm all right. But what in the world happened?"
In concert they all looked back toward the big tree, which, to avoid hitting something that fell from it, Mollie had steered away from so suddenly, and with such unexpected results.
"Why--why, it's a--girl!" gasped Betty, as she saw a huddled figure lying on the thick grass at the foot of the maple. "It's a girl, Mollie!"
"Oh, my, I hope we didn't hit her!" gasped Mollie. "I'm all in a tremble. Betty--I'm--I'm going to----"
"Don't you dare say faint!" commanded Betty. "Come, we must see what is the matter. Poor thing!"
"Oh, if--if we struck her!" gasped Mollie.
"I don't see how we could have," declared Amy. "You steered out too quickly."
"Yes, she did steer out quickly, all right," asserted Grace, rubbing her tingling elbow. "Why, Amy, your forehead is all bruised!"
"Yes, my head hit the robe-rail I guess," said Amy. "But that isn't anything. Oh, let's hurry to that poor girl."
Leaving the auto where it was, half-way through a patch of briars and brambles, the four girls approached the quiet figure lying under the tree. They looked up and down the road in case help would be needed, but not a person or vehicle was in sight.
"Oh--oh! I'm--I'm afraid to--look," spoke Mollie, shrinking back, as Betty bent over the figure of the strange girl. The latter's eyes were closed, and her loosened hair was in a mass about her head--even tossed as it was the girls could see there was a wonderful wealth of it. Betty gently pushed aside the locks from the forehead, and, as she did so she started back. Then bravely repressing her feelings she said:
"It's a cut, but it doesn't seem to be very deep."
"Oh, the blood--the blood!" murmured Mollie, putting her hands before her eyes. "And--I--I did it!"
"Nonsense! Stop it!" cried Betty. "Perhaps you did