d.

They had turned from a side-road into a side-side-road. They crossed an
upland valley. The fall rains had flooded a creek till it had cut across
the road, washed through the thin gravel, left across the road a shallow
violent stream. Milt stopped abruptly at its margin.

"Here's where we turn back, I guess," he sighed.

"Oh no! Can't we get across? It's only a couple of feet deep, and gravel
bottom," insisted the restored adventurer.

"Yes, but look at the steep bank. Never get up it."

"I don't care. Let's try it! We can woggle around and dig it out
somehow. I bet you two-bits we can," said the delicate young woman whom
Mrs. Gilson was protecting.

"All right. In she goes!"

The bug went in--shot over the bank, dipped down till the little hood
sloped below them as though they were looping the loop, struck the
rushing water with a splash which hurled yellow drops over Claire's rose
jersey suit, lumbered ahead, struck the farther bank, pawed at it
feebly, rose two inches, slipped back, and sat there with the gurgling
water all around it, turned into a motor-boat.

"No can do," grunted Milt. "Scared?"

"Nope. Love it! This is a real camp--the brush on the bank, and the
stream--listen to it chuckle under the running-board."

"Do you like to camp with me?"

"Love it."

"Say! Gee! Never thought---- Claire! Got your transportation back East?"

"My ticket? Yes. Why?"

"Well, I'm sure you can turn it in and get a refund. So that's all
right."

"Are you going to let me in on the secret?"

"Oh yes, might's well. I was just wondering---- I don't think much of
wasting all our youth waiting---- Two-three years in engineering school,
and maybe going to war, and starting in on an engineering job, and me
lonely as a turkey in a chicken yard, and you doing the faithful young
lady in Brooklyn---- I think perhaps we might get married tomorrow
and----"

"Good heavens, what do you----?"

"Do you want to go back to Brooklyn Gilsonses?"

"No, but----"

"Dear, can't we be crazy once, while we're youngsters?"

"Don't bombard me so! Let me think. One must be practical, even in
craziness."

"I am. I have over a thousand dollars from the garage, and I can work
evenings--as dear Jeff suggested! We'd have a two-by-four flat----
Claire----"

"Oh, let me think. I suppose I could go to the university, too, and
learn a little about food and babies and building houses and government.
I need to go to school a lot more t