“Hasten, Amy,” cried Mollie, in a mock agony of suspense.  “Do not keep us waiting in this fashion.”

“Well,” said Amy with a twinkle, “let’s buy a couple of the worst sounding horns we can find in town, go back and get Mollie’s car—­”

“Yes?” they queried breathlessly.

“And go through the streets tooting the horns until we’ve collected a crowd,” finished Amy triumphantly.

“And when we’ve got it, what’ll we do with it?” queried Mollie reasonably.

“Well, I should think you’d guess the rest,” remarked Amy.  “We could just tell ’em what we’d come for, that’s all, and ask all who were willing to take a ‘guest’ to say ‘aye.’”

“Never mind, dear, there’s still hope,” remarked Mollie, patting her arm soothingly.  “The doctor said, with absolute rest and quiet, you might get over it.”

Betty chuckled.  Grace did not, for the reason that her feet were beginning to hurt and she did not feel in a chuckling mood.

“Well, I don’t know but what there’s something in your idea after all, Amy,” she said, while Amy looked immensely gratified.  “I’m in favor of anything that cuts out walking.”

“’Cuts out’?” queried Mollie reprovingly.

“Yes, cuts out,” returned Grace, sticking to her guns.  “What do you say, Betty?  Don’t you think Amy has the right idea?”

“Well,” said Betty diplomatically, while her eyes twinkled at the imaginary spectacle of whirling through the streets of the town, blowing raucously on horns and making stump speeches from the running board of the machine, “it would at least have the advantage of being spectacular—­”

“There, Mollie!” cried Amy, not waiting for her to finish, the light of triumph in her eyes.  “You see it’s three to one.  Now, what have you got to say for yourself?”

“Nothing,” remarked Mollie dryly, “except to suggest that you wait until Betty gets through.  I imagine she hadn’t said all she wanted to on the subject.”

“Hadn’t you, Betty?” queried Amy, a trifle disconcerted and looking back at Betty over her shoulder.

“We-ll,” said Betty slowly, “I never say a thing can’t be done until it’s tried—­”

“There!” Grace exclaimed, but Betty interrupted her.

“But,” she said hastily, “I think it might be just as well to try the less spectacular method first.  Don’t you?”

Both Amy and Grace heaved a great sigh of disappointment.

“For one beautiful moment,” said Grace plaintively, “I dared to hope that you were with us, Betty.”

“Goodness, I am!” exclaimed the latter, wilfully misunderstanding.  “With you to the death, if need be.  But look,” she added as they turned a corner, “Methinks we have pretty nearly reached the scene of our activity.”

“Methinks it’s pretty nearly time,” groaned Grace.

“I tell you what we’ll do,” suggested Betty, as they crowded eagerly about her.  “It will save time, and, I think, be the easiest way.  We’ll each one take an entire street, visit as many of the houses as possible within an hour, and at the end of that time we’ll meet here again and each make her report.”