yrtle had chosen to sit in the back seat, and lolled happily
among rugs and wraps, keeping a keen eye out on the road ahead and
chattering away like a magpie to Leslie, telling her what a darling
she was--she pronounced it "dolling"--and how this ride was just the
one thing she needed to recuperate from her violent study of the night
before, incident to an examination that morning. Myrtle professed to
be utterly overcome and exhausted by the physical effort of writing
for three whole hours without a let-up. If Leslie could have seen her
meagre paper, through which a much-tortured professor was at that
moment wearily plodding, she would have been astonished. Leslie
herself was keen and thorough in her class work, and had no slightest
conception of what a lazy student could avoid when she set herself to
do so.

Five miles from home two masculine figures came in sight ahead,
strolling leisurely down the road. Any one watching might have seen
Myrtle suddenly straighten up and cast a hasty glance at Leslie. But
Leslie with bright cheeks and shining eyes was forging ahead,
regardless of stray strollers.

At exactly the right moment Myrtle leaned forward, and clutched
Leslie's shoulder excitedly:

"O Leslie! That's my cousin Fred Hicks! And that must be his friend,
Bartram Laws! They're out for a hike. How lucky! Stop a minute,
please; I want to speak to my cousin."

At the same moment the two young men turned, with a well-timed lifting
of surprised hats in response to Myrtle's violent waving and
shouting.

Leslie of course slowed down. She could not carry a girl past her own
cousin when she asked to stop to speak to him; besides, it never
occurred to her not to do so.

Myrtle went through the introductions glibly.

"Mr. Laws, meet my friend Miss Cloud; my cousin, Fred Hicks, Leslie.
Pile in, boys! Isn't this great that we should meet? Out for a hike?
We'll give you a lift. Which way are you going? Fred, you can sit in
front with Leslie. I want Bart back here with me."

Leslie caught her breath in a troubled hesitancy. This wasn't the kind
of thing she had bargained for. It was the sort of thing that her aunt
and brother would object to most strenuously. Yet how could she object
when her guest had asked them? Of course Myrtle didn't realize that it
was not quite the thing for them to be off here in the country
unchaperoned, with two strange young men, though of course they
weren't strangers really, both of them frie