Page:Outdoor Girls in a Motor Car.djvu/162

152 "The sound of carriage wheels out in the road. And I heard a man's voice speak to his horse."

"Maybe it's the—one who caught Mollie, and he's taking her away," faltered Grace, who seemed to have a faculty of suggesting unpleasant possibilities at the wrong time.

"Then we must stop him!"' cried Betty. She turned toward the front door, but a short distance away. The others hurried on after her, and saw, out in the road, the dim outlines of a carriage. There was a driving-light on the dashboard, and by its gleam the girls could make out the dark form of a man alighting.

"At least he's not—a ghost!" whispered Amy.

"Help! Oh, please help us!" screamed Grace.

"Hello, there! What's the trouble?" asked a pleasant voice. "I'll be with you in a minute. Whoa there, Jack, old man! Don't get uneasy. Show your light, please, so I can see where you are."

Betty flashed her lantern, and in its rays a man came up the weed-grown path. The girls were almost crying for sheer relief.