“And what time does he start for home?”

“About two o’clock, sir.”

The child’s face was very white, and her eyes were large and dark.  Though probably no older than Marjorie, she looked careworn and troubled beyond her years.

“You are a good boy, King,” his mother called out from the car, “and I think, Ed, we had better take the girl with us.  Kingdon won’t mind a two miles’ walk, I know, when it is in such a good cause.”

“I’m going with King,” announced Marjorie; “I shan’t mind the walk, either, and it will be fun for both of us to be together, while it would be awful lonesome for King all alone.”

“Good for you, Mopsy Midget!” cried King, “you’re a trump!  Come on, we’ll get there before the car does.”  King grasped his sister’s hand, and they set off merrily at a good pace along the straight road to Pelton.

Meantime, Mr. Maynard had assisted the lame girl into the car, and Kitty tucked rugs and shawls around her to make her comfortable.

Minnie Meyer was both awestruck and delighted.  She had never been in an automobile before, and it had all happened so quickly she scarcely realized her good fortune.

“I think you must all be angels,” she said; “and I’m sorry the young lady and gentleman have to walk so far, and all just for me.”

“But they’re better able to walk than you are,” said practical Kitty.

“That may be, Miss, but it seems queer for the likes of me to be riding in their place.  My!  But it goes fast!”

The car passed King and Marjorie, who waved their hands gaily, and watched it rapidly disappear along the road in front of them.

“I’m glad we’re doing a deed of charity, Midget,” said her brother, “for if we weren’t I shouldn’t relish this long walk very much.”

“Now, King, don’t go and spoil your noble deed by growling about it!  It was lovely of you to let that girl ride in your place, but if you’re going to kick about walking, you’ll spoil it all.”

“I’m not kicking.  And anyway, Mops, you were the noble one yourself.  You walked just so I shouldn’t be lonesome.”

“’Course I did!  What’s lots of fun for two is awful poky for one.  Come on, I’ll race you to that big sticking-out tree!”

They flew along the road with their heels kicking out behind, and though King reached the tree first, he was only a few steps ahead of Marjorie, who came up panting, and threw herself on the grass by his side.

“We mustn’t do that again,” she said, “it makes us too much out of breath, and we can’t walk afterward.  Now let’s rest a minute, and then walk on just middling fast,—­because it’s a long way yet.  What time do you suppose we’ll get there?”

“Pomp said if we’d walk straight along we ought to get to the inn by half-past twelve.  They won’t have lunch till we get there.”

“You bet they won’t!  Do you know where the inn is?”