the city at all. Thank you very much, Mr. Holmes,
and I shall be very pleased to accept your kind invitation, if you're
sure it's not troubling you."

"There you are, Miss Bessie!" said Holmes, heartily. "Now, you won't be
so unkind as to let Miss Dolly come with me alone, will you? She's
coming, and I think you'd better change your mind and come, too."

Poor Bessie was in a quandary. She knew that Miss Mercer, even though
she had laughed at her suspicions of Mr. Holmes, would not approve of
such a prank as this; but she knew, also, that Dolly, inclined to be
defiant and to resent the exercise of any authority, would not be moved
by that argument. And, in the presence of Holmes, she could hardly
tell Dolly the story of Zara's disappearance and her own suspicions
concerning the part that Holmes, or, at least, his car, had played in
it. Neither, she felt, could she let Dolly go alone. The chances were
that Holmes meant no harm, but she knew that Miss Eleanor had put Dolly
in her charge in a measure, and she felt responsible for her new chum.

So, displeased as she was, Bessie climbed into the car after Dolly, who
had already taken her place in the tonneau, and in a moment they were
off, taking the road that led away from Deer Crossing. Holmes only
smiled as she got in the car, but before he put on his dust glasses
Bessie was sure that she saw a look of triumph in his eyes, as if he had
succeeded beyond his hopes in some plan he had formed. Bessie did not at
all relish the prospect of the little adventure upon which Dolly's whim
had launched her, but she decided to take it with a good grace, since,
now that she was in the car, she had to see it through.

Once the car was under way, going fast, Mr. Holmes had to devote all his
attention to driving, and, as it was a large one, there was so much
noise the two girls could talk without being heard.

"I suppose you're awfully mad at me," said Dolly, in a whisper, looking
at Bessie's stern face. "Oh, Bessie, I couldn't help it! He was so nice
about it, and it was such a lovely chance to tease you! I do try to be
good, but every time I see a chance to do anything like that I just
can't seem to help it."

"I asked you not to. You could see I didn't want to go, Dolly. And if
we're going to be friends, you oughtn't to force me into doing things I
don't want to do."

"Oh Bessie, you're not going to be mean about it, and keep on being
angry? You won't tell Miss Eleanor, will yo