ng run that afternoon and arrived at the
Hampton hotel in good season to dress for dinner. Jennie and her aunt met
some people they knew, and naturally Jennie's fiance and her friends were
warmly welcomed by the gay little colony.

Men at the pleasure resorts were very scarce that year, and here were two
perfectly good dancers. So it was very late when the automobile party got
away from the dance at the Casino.

They were late the next morning in starting on the road to Boston.
Besides, there was thunder early, and Helen, having heard it rumbling,
quoted:

"'Thunder in the morning,
Sailors take warning!'"

and rolled over for another nap.

Ruth, however, at last had to get up. She was no "lie-abed" in any case,
and in her present nervous state she had to be up and doing.

"But it's going to ra-a-ain!" whined Jennie Stone when Ruth went into her
room.

"You're neither sugar nor salt," said Ruth.

"Henri says I'm as sweet as sugar," yawned Jennie.

"He is not responsible for what he says about you," said her aunt briskly.
"When I think of what that really nice young man is taking on his
shoulders when he marries you----"

"But, Auntie!" cried Jennie, "he's not going to try to carry me pickaback,
you know."

"Just the same, it is wrong for us to encourage him to become responsible
for you, Jennie," said her aunt. "He really should be warned."

"Oh!" gasped the plump girl. "Let anybody dare try to get between me and
my Henri----"

"Nobody can--no fear--when you are sitting with him in the front seat of
that roadster of Tom's," said Ruth. "You fill every atom of space, Heavy."

She went to the window and looked out again. Heavy rolled out of bed--a
good deal like a barrel, her aunt said tartly.

"What is it doing outside?" yawned the plump girl.

"Well, it's not raining. And it is a long run to Boston. We should be on
our way now. The road through the hills is winding. There will be no time
to stop for a Gypsy picnic."

"Thank goodness for that!" grumbled Jennie, sitting on the floor,
schoolgirl fashion, to draw on her stockings. "I'll eat enough at
breakfast hereafter to keep me alive until we reach a hotel, if you folks
insist on inviting wood ants and other savage creatures of the forest to
our luncheon table."

When the party finally gathered for breakfast in the hotel dining room on
this morning, it was disgracefully late. Tom had been over both cars and
pronounced them fit. He had order