hunter's pink and a smart, little hat of the
same bright scarlet shade. Mr. Stuart selected the costume for Mistress
Mollie. She at least, he insisted, should be arrayed in the proper shade
of Lincoln green; and like a veritable "Maid Marian" she appeared.

For once Miss Sallie was entirely satisfied with their selection of
costumes. "For me," she argued in her most decided manner, "the most
necessary garments are half a dozen pairs of overshoes, and the same
number of mackintoshes and umbrellas. I shall also take an extra trunk of
warm flannels. If the fall rains begin while we are camping in the
mountains we shall surely be washed down into the valley before we can
make our escape."

CHAPTER IV

IN THE HEART OF THE BERKSHIRES

A crimson automobile was climbing the steep inclines of the Berkshire
Hills. Now it rose to the crest of a road. Again it dipped into a valley.
It looked like a scarlet autumn leaf blown down from one of the giant
forest trees that guarded the slopes of the mountains.

Mollie Thurston stood up in the back of the motor car, waving a long
green veil.

"Isn't the scenery just too perfect for words?" she called to Ruth.

The day was wonderful; the September sun shone warm and golden through
the shadows of dancing, many-colored leaves. "The Automobile Girls" had
left summer behind them in Kingsbridge. Three days of traveling found
them in the early autumn glory of the Berkshire woods.

Ruth did not answer Mollie's question.

"My dear child, wake up!" commanded Miss Sallie, leaning over to give her
niece a gentle poke with her violet parasol. "Have you grown suddenly
deaf? Can you not hear when you are spoken to?"

Ruth glanced up from her steering wheel. "Did some one speak to me?" she
queried. "I am so sorry I did not hear. I am afraid I am both deaf and
dumb to-day. But we simply must get to our mountain by noon. Driving a
car over these mountain roads isn't the easiest task in the world."

Barbara laughed back over her shoulder at the occupants of the end seat
in the car. "Miss Sallie Stuart," she said in solemn tones, "please, let
our chauffeur alone! Suppose the dark descends upon us in the woods and
you have 'nary' a place to lay your head!"

"Then I should immediately find a hotel and ask for a room and a bath,"
protested Miss Stuart, who did not favor the idea of the log cabin in the
woods. "Remember, children, you may pretend as hard as you like that we
are a thousand