Page:Dave Porter on Cave Island.djvu/36

24 kind Laura and Jessie care to pick for company. I suppose those girls played their part thinking it was nothing but a good joke. One had a hat on with feathers such as Jessie wears and the other wore a coat and veil like Laura's. I guess a good many who saw them riding in the auto and cutting up like wild Indians thought they were Laura and Jessie." And Dave heaved a deep sigh.

"And what are you going to do, Dave?" asked Phil, after a short silence, during which the three chums continued to skate in advance of their friends.

"What can I do? We are trying to locate the rascals, and when we do we'll make them stop. But in the meantime"

"They may cause you no end of trouble," finished the senator's son.

"I don't care so much for myself as I do for Laura and Jessie, and for Mr. and Mrs. Wadsworth. I hate to see them suffer because of my trouble with those rascals. I don't see why Merwell and Jasniff can't fight it out with me alone."

"You forget one thing, Dave," returned Phil. "Merwell was once sweet on your sister. I suppose it made him furious to be turned down by her."

"Well, then, why does he annoy Jessie? She never harmed him, or Jasniff either."