Chapter IV: A Race and What Came of It

"I feel rather badly about leaving the poor old Comet in his stable all day," observed Billie, who had taken a long rest after her adventure in the water that morning and was enjoying a trip in the Firefly, Mr. Donahue's motor-boat.

"He will be wondering why you brought him down if you use his rival the very first afternoon," said Elinor.

They were skimming over the blue water of Lake Worth, which was dotted with every kind of pleasure craft imaginable. The shores of Palm Beach shimmered gold in the afternoon sunshine and across the lake came the faint sound of music from the band in the Grove.

"Any kind of machine is glad to take a rest, my dear, human or otherwise," put in Miss Campbell. "No doubt the Comet is well pleased to stop whirring and whirling for awhile and stay quietly in the garage."

"You see how real our motor car is to us," said Billie to Edward, who was running the boat. "We feel toward him just as we should toward any faithful animal, a horse or a dog----"

"Or a cat," put in Mary, who loved cats to the exclusion of all other dumb creatures.

"I could never love a cat the same as a horse or a dog or a motor car," cried Billie with enthusiasm.

"Now, I've planted my affections on a canary bird," said Elinor, "and I wouldn't exchange him for the finest cat in seven kingdoms. He is always in a good humor. He sings and carols all day long and his little heart palpitates with joy when I let him hop out and perch on my finger."

Edward's face lighted up. He had been listening silently to the chatter of the young girls while he guided the boat somewhat nearer the beautiful tropical shores which bordered the lake, and slowed down so that they could have a passing glimpse of this fairyland.

"We have a bird," he said presently. "I'd feel mighty bad if anything should ever happen to him. He's the finest little fellow you ever saw."

"What kind is he?" asked Elinor with polite interest.

"A mocking bird."

"A mocking bird?" repeated Billie. "How I should love to hear one sing! What is he like?"

"He's a beautiful brown," returned Edward, warming to the subject. "His tail and wings are tipped with white and he has a white breast. His little eyes are so bright and black, they see everything that happens. He knows he can sing, too. He's just as proud of it as we are. He's a wonder, I can tell you, and he is as fond of us as we are of him. I found him when he was little. His wing was broken and he had fallen out of the nest. His name is Dick and he's just like a member of the family."

"What a dear little fellow!" cried Billie. "I would like to have him hop on my finger and look at me with his shiny little black eyes. Do you live near Palm Beach, Edward? Couldn't we motor over and see him some time?"

There was a whirring noise behind them. The boy turned quickly without answering and looked back. Another motor-boat was coming toward them at a clipping rate.

"Would you like a little race?" he asked, rather wistfully. "I know that boat, and ours can beat it, if that's the same fellow who ran it the other day."

"Wouldn't it be dangerous?" asked Miss Campbell, smiling indulgently in spite of her objections.

The Motor Maids exchanged amused glances. They had long had a secret conviction that there was nothing the little lady enjoyed more than to sit on the back seat of the Comet and close her eyes, while they took a breathlessly swift run up the Cliff Road at West Haven.

"I don't think it would be dangerous, ma'am," replied Edward. "This is a dandy little boat if it is handled properly."

"And you're sure you know how to handle it, Edward?"

"Certainly, ma'am. I've raced in it before and raced this other boat, too."

"Did you win the race, Edward?"

"Yes, ma'am," replied the boy earnestly.

"I have no objections to trying it again, then, Edward," said Miss Campbell, "only don't upset us in the water, whatever you do."

The girls laughed happily. Who could be solemn in this magical place where everything was beautiful? The sky, the water, the land, even the faces of the most ordinary human beings were glorified by the bewitching atmosphere.

"You are a precious little sport, cousin," cried Billie, kissing her relative on her peach-blossom cheek, "with all your baby-blue eyes and your laces and frills, you enjoy a race as much as any of us."

"And why not, my child? I'm not a stock or a stone always to stay planted in one spot and never to have any good times."

The other boat had come alongside of them now.

"Want to race?" called out the young man at the engine, who by the way was the same person who had called Nancy and Billie "cats" that very morning in the bathing pavilion.

"All right," answered Edward. "We'll start now if your friend will give the signal, and race to the little house on the shore."

There were two other people in the boat, one a boy who sat in the stern. He wore smoked glasses and his hat was pulled well down over his face. The other was a girl.

"Why, it's the same girl who was walking this morning with the terrible old English lady," whispered Nancy. "Her name is Georgiana Paxton."

But no one replied, for the boy with the smoked glasses had called out: "One--two--three--off you go," and the two boats had shot out over the water.

It was glorious fun skimming along the lake in the pretty little craft. Shores flew past and sail boats and canoes were left far behind. The other boat kept well ahead of them for awhile. Over the noise of its chugging engine they could hear the scornful laugh of the young man who was running it.

"What an impolite person," observed Miss Campbell. "There is nothing ridiculous about any of us, I hope."

"He's laughing because he thinks he's going to beat us," said Edward over his shoulder. "But wait and see what happens when we beat him. We are almost at the goal now."

Gradually the Firefly began to get up speed, and chug and work as the other boat would, it could not keep abreast of the graceful swift-moving craft which shot ahead and presently slowed up just opposite the knock-kneed, rickety little boat-house on the shore.

The girls were standing up, and Miss Campbell was waving her handkerchief in her enjoyment and excitement.

"It was thrilling," she cried. "I have never actually been in a race before, and how beautiful to be the winner. If I had known there was going to be a race I should have offered a prize for us to win, ourselves. The young man should never have laughed. It is unlucky to laugh before a race is decided."

At that moment the other boat came up.

"The race was not a fair one," exclaimed the young man, whose name we will presently find is Clarence Paxton. He was frowning and biting his lips angrily.

"What was wrong about it, I'd like to know?" demanded Edward.

"You had the start of at least half a minute."

Edward's blue eyes took on a steely look.

"You are mistaken," he said quietly.

"I tell you I am not mistaken," began the other, when Miss Campbell interfered.

"Edward," she said, in her gentlest and most charming manner, "this would be a good place to land and have our tea. Perhaps these young people will join us."

The girl in the other boat turned toward her gratefully.

"Oh, thank you," she said, "we should love to."

"That will be very nice," answered Miss Campbell. "An excellent way to celebrate a well-fought battle," she added, blinking her blue eyes a little mischievously.

"It will be impossible, Georgiana," said Clarence, "I have an engagement at the hotel at five o'clock."

"An engagement!" she exclaimed. "Why you don't know anyone to make an engagement with."

"Is it any of your business one way or the other?" he replied angrily.

"If this young man is anxious to get back," put in Miss Campbell, "don't detain him, please. We shall be delighted to take you home later in our boat, if you care to come ashore, and your friend, too."

Georgiana flushed with pleasure. She was a pale thin girl with a rather plain face and sad dark eyes.

"I should love to come," she said, looking wistfully at the Motor Maids. "I have no friends here."

"Will you come, too?" asked Miss Campbell hospitably of the boy who wore glasses.

"Do come, Edward," cried Georgiana, and the other Edward started at hearing his name called out.

The boy took off his slouch hat diffidently.

"Are you sure there will be room in the boat?" he asked.

"Plenty," said the other Edward.

"I believe I will come," he said with a shy eagerness that the girls noticed at once.

"Take your friends ashore," commanded Miss Campbell sternly to Clarence, "and then you need not trouble about them further. They will be our guests."

Clarence obeyed sheepishly, and as the two boats pointed toward the beach, Miss Campbell remarked:

"The only way to avoid a quarrel with that singular young man was to ask them all to tea. But I'm sure if it gives them any pleasure it is well worth the trouble."

Presently they found themselves on a smooth beach, just back of which in a little hollow was a lovely grove of palm trees.

"What a perfect place for a picnic," cried Elinor. "Do the fairies dance here by moonlight, I wonder?"

"Isn't it sweet?" cried Mary, clasping her hands rapturously.

The prow of the other boat then grounded on the beach and the boy and girl jumped out so eagerly, that it was plain to be seen they were glad to get rid of the ill-natured Clarence.

"I can't tell you how much pleasure this will give us," said Georgiana to Miss Campbell, a slight tremble in her voice.

"It gives me a great deal of pleasure, too, I'm sure," replied the other cordially. "Your name is----"

"Georgiana Paxton, and this is my brother, Edward Paxton."

Miss Campbell introduced them to her charges, and nobody took any more notice of Clarence, who busied himself with his engine and occasionally cast a surly glance at the others.

Edward and Elinor had carried the tea basket and a package of sandwiches into the little hollow, and the rest now followed.

"What a beautiful spot, what an ideal place," they cried, as they grouped themselves about the little dell, while Elinor opened her tea basket and laid out the dainty crockery and the kettle.

There was a spring bubbling in the dell, and the ground all about was carpeted with a thick bed of moss. The yellow jasmine grew in abundance there and violets were thickly strewn in the shady corners.

"What an enchanting place----" Miss Campbell was saying, when suddenly Edward, the chauffeur, said "Sh-h-h," and pointed to the upper branches of an immense old pine at the edge of the grove.

"Listen," he whispered.

Hidden among the thick green foliage, a bird was singing the most lovely, trilling song imaginable. The liquid notes poured from his little, quivering throat like so much pure gold. It was such a joyous song and they were so afraid he might stop that they hardly dared breathe. Elinor clasped her hands rapturously and tears came into her eyes.

"It's a mocking bird," whispered Edward, proudly.

So much absorbed and enchanted were they with the music that they did not notice what was taking place on the beach. Two steps up and they would have seen something which would have caused them a far different emotion. Clarence, who had no business whatever in the Firefly, leaped into it for a moment, then back again into his own boat, and presently the chug-chug of his engine broke the spell of the mocking bird's song.