er
head inquiringly as the lights flashed into her patient eyes.

"Sarah--asleep!" whispered Jack. "And the pig, too!"

"Belle fell down and Sarah couldn't get her up," said Warren, realizing
at once what had occurred. "The poor kid--she must have been
frightened stiff."

Jack pulled himself up on the runabout step and leaned over Sarah. The
tears were not dry on her cheeks and as he looked she opened her dark
eyes with a little cry.

"You're all right, Sarah," he said soothingly. "Warren and Richard and
I have come to take you home."

To his astonishment, Sarah, who hated demonstration of any kind, threw
her arms about his neck and burrowed her face on his shoulder. Bony
rolled protestingly to the floor and squeaked sharply as he hit the
dashboard in his descent.

"The horse fell down," sobbed Sarah, "and she wouldn't get up. And it
got darker and darker and there weren't any houses anywhere. Is Belle
dead, Jack?"

"Not a bit of it," said Jack stoutly. "She was tired, because she is
an old horse and isn't used to traveling far."

"Now that she is rested, we'll have no trouble getting her home," put
in Warren. "You stay where you are, Sarah, till we get her up."

But Sarah had had enough of the runabout and she insisted on climbing
down while the boys got Belle to her feet and went over the harness.

"It's a wonder it didn't slide off her," declared Warren as he cinched
belts and snapped unfastened buckles. "I'll give you a lesson in
harnessing some day, Sarah, for you still have a few points to learn."

It was an odd procession that drove into Rainbow Hill lane an hour
later. They dared not hurry the old horse and Sarah flatly refused to
be taken home in the buggy with Tony, leaving Belle and the runabout to
be driven in at a slower pace. Jack would have bundled her off
unceremoniously but Warren, while admitting that she had "made enough
trouble and ought to consider the feelings of other people once in a
while" would not force the issue.

"She's dead tired and she's been badly frightened," he said quietly.
"After all, it will mean a difference of not more than half an hour.
We'll wait for old Belle."

So Jack and Richard, driving the runabout and the old mare, set the
pace and Sarah and Bony in the buggy with Warren followed behind Tony.

Rosemary and Winnie and the Hildreths came running out to greet the
prodigal, who had to be awakened to answer their eager questions--and
Winnie bore S