nd boys--are out on a trip. We are going to Sandy Point Cove,
and are taking it easy on the way. My machine developed tire trouble
a while ago--quite a while it is now," he said ruefully, "and the others
went on. I thought I could get up to them, but I took the wrong road
and--well, here we are. Now if we can give you a ride, why, we'll be
glad to. Ed can sit on the run-board, and you----"

"Oh, I couldn't trouble you!" the girl exclaimed. "I--I am going----"

She stopped rather abruptly and Jack and Ed each confessed to the other,
later, that they were mortally afraid she was going to cry.

"And if she had," said Jack, "I'd have been up in the air for fair!"

"Same here!" admitted Ed.

But she did not cry. She conquered the inclination, and went on.

"I mean that I don't know exactly where I am going," the girl said. "It
isn't important, anyhow. It doesn't much matter where I stop." There was a
pathetic, hopeless note in her voice now.

Again Jack took a sudden resolve.

"Look here!" he exclaimed, "I've got a sister, and Ed here, and I, have a
lot of girl friends. We wouldn't want them to be out alone at night on a
country road. So if you'll excuse us, I think it would be better if we
could take you to some of your friends. We won't mind in the least, going
out of our way to do it, either."

"Of course not!" put in Ed.

"But I--I----" she seemed struggling with some emotion. "I love to be in
the country!" she said suddenly--as though she had made up her mind to
rush through some explanation of her plight "I take long walks often.
I think I walked too far to-day. I--I expected to reach Hayden before
dark, but I stayed too long in a pretty little wood. I--am going to stop
at the Young Women's Christian Association in Hayden. But that's only a
mile further, and I can be there before it's very much darker."

"If it can get any darker than this, I'd like to see it," remarked Ed,
staring at the blackness which surrounded them.

"If it's only a mile or so farther then we're going to take you there!"
exclaimed Jack. "We're bound to be late anyhow, and we might as well be
killed for a sheep as a lamb. Ed, it's you for the run-board."

"With pleasure," and he bowed to the girl.

She laughed--just the least bit.

"Oh, but I couldn't think of troubling you!" the girl exclaimed. "Really,
I--I----" She did not know what to say. Jack saw her clasp her hands
convulsively. He had a good look at her face. Really she was