hway.

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