Page:Stewart Edward White--The Rose Dawn.djvu/71

Rh topped by a little forward-tilted chip hat. Kenneth, in relief, recognized Dora Stanley; and, with a murmured word of farewell to the Colonel, hastened to the edge of the veranda. That Brainerd kid was certainly fresh! A regular little brat, Kenneth decided resentfully.

"Well, Puss," said the Colonel. "I suppose we must be getting along, if we are to meet the boat."

"I want to see Mrs. Fortney," said Daphne. "I don't believe I'll go to the boat. Pick me up, please, on your way back."

"This is desertion!" cried the Colonel, in mock dismay.

"Take somebody else with you," suggested Daphne unmoved, "take the square jolly man: he looks like good company."

So it happened that Patrick Boyd joined the Colonel and they drove away together behind the chestnuts.

"The ship gets in this morning, and I have to be here," explained the Colonel, "—to see about the tourists and all such matters. If you just want to potter about—if you have nothing especial to do" They drove out of the hotel grounds, but instead of turning down the main street the Colonel tooled the chestnuts carefully on a slant across the high projecting ridges of the street car rails and so to a pepper-shaded side street. The light vehicle swayed and pitched over the metals, so that Boyd had fairly to hold on.

"I should think the town would make the company grade those things down," he growled, "they're liable to take off a wheel."

"Oh, it's a sort of makeshift affair," replied the Colonel easily. "Have you seen it?"

"Yes, I've seen it—and tried it."

"You'll appreciate the story they tell about it, then. They say a stranger saw it going down the street one day, and boarded it. 'Say', said he to the driver, 'I no sabe how this thing goes. Seems to slide along all by itself.' The driver looked over the dashboard. 'Hanged if those mules haven't crawled under the car again,' he said." The Colonel laughed heartily at this, one of this three favourite stories. Boyd laughed too, but could not forbear adding a word to his first criticism.