Who will come?"

"I guess we all will, if one of us goes," spoke Betty. "But, oh, Mollie,
are you sure that's the best thing to do?"

"Why not? What else can we do?"

"Well, of course if this storm would let up it would be easier going out
then. We might wait a while."

"It doesn't show any signs of letting up," retorted Mollie. "It acts to
me like an all-night rain, and the longer we wait the worse off we'll
be, and the less chance we'll have of finding any one up if we do locate
a house."

"Oh, for a nice dry house, and a good hot cup of chocolate!" sighed
Grace.

"Heartless creature--to even dream of such things!" cried Amy. "Oh dear!
What do you think? A stream of water is going down my back."

"And both my shoulders are soaking wet," added Mrs. Mackson. "But it
might be worse, girls!"

"I don't very well see how," remarked Mollie. "Well, shall we try it?"

The others hesitated a moment. As they waited and listened to the
whining of the wind, the swish of the rain and the angry muttering of
the thunder, and saw the vivid lightning, it was no wonder they did not
want to decide hurriedly to go out in that out burst of the elements.
But it was also trying on the nerves to stay in the stalled auto,
exposed as it was by the lack of side curtains.

"Oh, let's try it!" suggested Betty in sheer desperation. "We can't any
more than get drenched, and our rain coats will be some protection. Come
on, girls."

They had the two oil lanterns in the car with them, and carrying them
they now emerged from their shelter.

"Gracious! This is awful!" gasped Mollie, as the blast and rain struck
her full in the face.

"Keep on!" called Betty, grimly.

"Which way?" asked Amy. "How dark it is!"

"Not when it lightens--that's one good thing about it," said Cousin
Jane, cheerfully.

"It's nice you can see some good points," laughed Mollie--yes, actually
laughed, and the girls marveled at it. But Mollie had that rare quality
of "keeping her nerve," if I may be pardoned that expression, so often
and effectively used by my friends, the boys.

"We had better go forward," suggested Betty. "We didn't pass any houses
for quite a while as we were coming up here, and there may be one not
far off just ahead. Or we may find a cross-road. Advance, I say!"

"And I agree," spoke Mollie. "Come on."

She and Betty led the way, carrying the lamps, which gave but an
uncertain light, and that only in one direction--forward. However, th