road, or in that locality, that were there during Washington's time?
And if standing still, why shouldn't there be old furniture, or odd bits,
to be found in them?"

Eleanor instantly caught Nancy up on one of her phrases. "Naturally the
houses would be standing still--you wouldn't want them to be dancing a
tango, would you?"

"Oh, pshaw, Nolla!" scorned Nancy, in disgust at such a poor attempt to
joke, "you know, well enough, what I mean."

The other girls laughed at Nancy, and Polly added: "Well, what is your
plan?"

"I say, let's drive along the River Road as far as Dobb's Ferry, and then
turn off to this road and venture on any country road we find, that has
old-fashioned houses which look as if they were built in 1776."

"That sounds thrilling!" laughed Eleanor.

Her companions refused to smile this time, so she sat grinning at Nancy,
as if waiting to attack her again.

"I think that plan will answer as well as anything Nolla has proposed,
don't you?" asked Nancy.

"Yes, we'll try your scheme out, Nan. But you'll have to be the guide
through the country, as we haven't the least idea of the lay of the
land," said Dodo.

"We'll succeed splendidly, as long as we have this map," promised Nancy.

The girls pictured many rare treasures added to their collection after
this proposed trip, and when it was time for Ruth to go home, each girl
had chosen rare and wonderful objects to be found in these imaginary
Colonial home-steads they expected to visit on the morrow.

Classes had to be attended to before excursions could be enjoyed and then
it was lunch-time; but after that they finally started on this trip.

Mrs. Fabian was out with Mrs. Ashby, so the girls met no one who would
question them, when they were ready to leave. Ruth and Dodo called at the
Fabians and they all went to the large garage where Mr. Dalken kept his
automobiles; and the man, having had instructions to give the car to
these young friends of the owner, whenever they wanted it, said nothing
but backed the car out to the street for them.

The five girls drove away in high spirits, for they were eager to harvest
all the marvelous antiques they had ever read or heard of, that might be
scattered throughout the country-sides wherever General Washington had
made a camp for his army.

Dodo was an excellent driver but she had no New York license, and the
girls had forgotten all about that necessity. So the car was speeding
along the boulevarde at