orma put her slim hands down among the oily plugs, selected a tool from
the kit George held out to her, and did something mysterious to the
"innards."

"Start her," she commanded briefly.

Obediently George took the wheel and touched the self-starter. The engine
purred contentedly.

"By gum!" cried George inelegantly, "she's done it!"

He produced a towel from the box for Norma, who managed to rub off most
of the grease from her hands. She put on her jacket and climbed into her
place between Betty and her sister. George proceeded to make up for lost
time at a speed that left them breathless.

"Here's the girl who got us here!" said Betty to Bob, when the group of
cadets met their bus at the athletic field where several cars were drawn
up on the sidelines.

"Then she shall have my fur coat and my best curly chrysanthemum,"
announced Tommy Tucker gallantly, throwing a handsome raccoon fur coat
over Norma's shoulders and presenting her with a magnificent yellow
chrysanthemum.

CHAPTER XVI

THE NUTTING PARTY

To the boy's surprise Bobby, who was usually aloof and liked to tease
him, squeezed his arm surreptitiously.

"You're a dear!" she told him enthusiastically.

"Girls are a queer lot," the dazed youth confided to Bob, as they went
back to their quarters. "Here I handed over my coat to that Norma Guerin
and gave her the flower I'd been saving for Bobby, just to pay Bobby back
for being so snippy to me over at school. And she calls me a dear and is
nicer to me than she's been in months!"

Bob briefly outlined something of the Guerin history, for Betty had told
him of the lost treasure in her hurried note, and hinted his belief that
the girls had very little money in comparison to Shadyside standards.

"Shucks--money isn't anything!" was Tommy's answer to the recital, with
the easy assurance of a person who has never been without a comfortable
competence. "They're nice girls, and we'll pass the word that the boys
are to show them a good time."

As a result, when after the conclusion of the game, the girls and Miss
Anderson were ushered upstairs into the cozy suite of rooms the cadets
occupied, Norma and Alice found themselves plied with attentions. Miss
Anderson poured the hot chocolate and made friends with the shy Sydney
Cooke, who had been dreading this visit all the afternoon. Indeed his
chums had threatened to lock him in the clothes closet in order that they
might be sure of his attendance.