o the left and you will
find her in the garage, and for heaven's sake, get it right before you
let her start out, for we've had enough horror in this family from motor
accidents."

Then she closed the door before him and stood buttoning her gloves; a
wicked and malicious smile spreading over her face.

"Just possibly," she said, "that youngster is from a garage, but if he
is, he's the best imitation of the real thing that I have seen in these
chaotic days."

Donald Whiting stopped at the garage door and looked in, before Linda
had finished her grease cups, and in time to be informed that he might
wear common-sense shoes if he chose. At his step, Linda rolled her black
head on the cement floor and raised her eyes. She dropped the grease
cup, and her face reddened deeply.

"Oh, my Lord!" she gasped breathlessly. "I forgot to tell Katy when to
call me!"

In that instant she also forgot that the stress of the previous four
years had accustomed men to seeing women do any kind of work in any kind
of costume; but soon Linda realized that Donald Whiting was not paying
any particular attention either to her or to her occupation. He was
leaning forward, gazing at the car with positively an enraptured
expression on his eager young face.

"Shades of Jehu!" he cried. "It's a Bear Cat!"

Linda felt around her head for the grease cup.

"Why, sure it's a Bear Cat," she said with the calmness of complete
recovery. "And it's just about ready to start for its very own cave in
the canyon."

Donald Whiting pitched his hat upon the seat, shook off his coat, and
sent it flying after the hat. Then he began unbuttoning and turning back
his sleeves.

"Here, let me do that," he said authoritatively. "Gee! I have never yet
ridden in a Bear Cat. Take me with you, will you, Linda?"

"Sure," said Linda, pressing the grease into the cup with a little
paddle and holding it up to see if she had it well filled. "Sure, but
there's no use in you getting into this mess, because I have only got
two more. You look over the engine. Did you ever grind valves, and do
you think these need it?"

"Why, they don't need it," said Donald, "if they were all right when it
was jacked up."

"Well, they were," said Linda. "It was running like a watch when it went
to sleep. But do we dare take it out on these tires?"

"How long has it been?" asked Donald, busy at the engine.

"All of four years," answered Linda.

Donald whistled softly and started a ci