“Hear about it?  Why, we want to read it for ourselves!” cried Jack, and he tried to take it from his sister’s hand.  Cora struggled to retain it, and finding that she was being bested, threw it over Jack’s head to Walter.  He grabbed it, and defied his chum to touch it.

“Now, easy, fellows,” begged Ed in his quiet way.  “If there happens to be news from Mistress Mary, though she be quite contrary, pray let us hear it.”

“That’s what I say,” added Walter, handing Cora the missive.  “Now, Jack, I’m going to stand on guard, and if you interfere again—­”

“Oh, go ahead.  I’ll get it, anyway, later, when sis is asleep.”

“No, you’ll not!” declared his sister.  “But this is the news,” she went on guardedly.  “Mary intimates that she knows something about the money.”

“Is that so?” cried Ed eagerly.

“Oh, every one is intimating that,” declared Jack in some contempt.  “Is that all?  What we want is an intimation that makes good, eh, Ed?”

“Yes, I suppose so.  But what does Mary say?” and he looked sharply at Cora.

“I think I had better read the letter,” she said, “for, like all girls, or most of them, at least, she only hints at the most important statement.”

“Go ahead,” ordered Jack.  “I’ll listen and close my eyes to call up a picture of pretty Mary.  She’s pretty, she’s witty, she’s all a girl—­”

He began to sing.

Cora jumped up.

“If any one wants to hear this letter he has got to keep—­” she began.

“I’ll be good,” promised Jack contritely.

Walter gently slipped his arm around Cora’s waist.  Ed, towering above Walter, put his arm around his chum and Jack’s sister.  Jack managed to edge under her arm.

“Well, we’re a happy family now,” said Jack.  “You may read the letter, Cora.  We each have you all to ourselves.”

With a quick move Cora freed herself.

“Oh, you might know she’d duck,” pouted Jack, “just as we were getting comfortable.  Keep your old letter.  I won’t listen to it now,” and he moved away.

“I’ve forgotten something in my machine!” exclaimed Ed suddenly with a sly wink at Cora.  “I’ll just run and get it, if you’ll excuse me.”

Cora knew exactly what he intended to do.  Quickly, as he came back in his runabout, she ran down the piazza steps, and was in the machine before either Walter or Jack realized what was taking place.

“Now I’ll hear the letter without being interrupted!” exclaimed Ed as he put on speed and escaped with the laughing girl, who waved the missive above her head.

CHAPTER XVII

A RUNAWAY AUTO

When Cora finished reading Mary’s letter to Ed, which did not take long, she looked up at him and asked: 

“Well, what do you think of it?”

“I—­er—­I think—­would you mind very much if I didn’t tell you what I think of it?” he answered her in turn.