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[Illustration: WHEN THE TRAIN STOPPED AT THE PALM BEACH STATION, THERE
WAS THE COMET WAITING FOR THEM.--Page 14.]


THE MOTOR MAIDS BY PALM AND PINE

by

KATHERINE STOKES

Author of "The Motor Maids' School Days," etc.







M. A. Donohue & Company
Chicago--New York

Copyright, 1911,
by
Hurst & Company

Made in U. S. A.




CONTENTS

     CHAPTER                                          PAGE
          I. To the Sunny South                          5
         II. Making New Acquaintances                   19
        III. Timothy's Drowning                         37
         IV. A Race and What Came of It                 50
          V. The Two Edwards                            64
         VI. The Gray Motor Car                         79
        VII. The Coward                                 94
       VIII. Mr. Duffy Gives a Party                   111
         IX. The Bullfrog and the Pollywog             128
          X. The Song of the Motor                     138
         XI. The Orange Grove                          150
        XII. An Unwished Wish                          161
       XIII. In the Deep Woods                         173
        XIV. The Mocking Bird                          186
         XV. Out of the Wilderness                     196
        XVI. Mrs. L'Estrange                           208
       XVII. A Morning Call                            220
      XVIII. It's an Ill Wind                          234
        XIX. A Passage at Arms                         246
         XX. The Hand of Destiny                       258
        XXI. Picnicking Under the Pines                270
       XXII. The Last of the House of Troubles         280
      XXIII. Explanations                              291
       XXIV. So Endeth the Second Lesson               298




THE MOTOR MAIDS BY PALM AND PINE




CHAPTER I.--TO THE SUNNY SOUTH.


The Atlantic Ocean and the breadth of Europe including half of Russia
lay between Mr. Duncan Campbell and his daughter, Wilhelmina. But that
did not prevent Mr. Campbell from thinking of numerous delightful
surprises for Billie and her three friends in West Haven.

Sometimes it was a mere scrawl of a note hastily written at some small
way station, saying: "Here's a check for my Billie-girl. Treat your
friends to ice-cream sodas and take 'em to the theater. Don't forget
your old Dad."

Sometimes the surprise took the form of queer foreign-looking packages
addressed to "the Misses Campbell, Butler, Brown and Price," containing
strange articles made by the peasants in the far-away land. He sent them
each a Cossack costume with high red boots and red sashes. But some
three weeks before the Easter holidays came the best surprise of all.

"I believe the Comet needs a change of air," wrote Mr. Campbell. "A fine
automobile must have as careful handling as a thoroughbred horse, or,
for that matter, a thoroughbred young lady. What does my Billie-girl say
to an Easter trip to Florida with Cousin Helen as guardian angel and Nan
and Nell and Moll for company and the Comet for just his own sweet
self?"

Mr. Campbell, who received long, intimate letters from his daughter once
a week, felt that he knew the girls almost as well as she did, and he
would call them by abbreviated, pet names in spite of Billie's
remonstrances.

"It so happens," the letter continued, "that my old friend, Ignatius
Donahue, who holds the small, unimportant, poorly-paid position of
vice-president of an insignificant railroad, not knowing that I was
digging trenches in Russia, has offered me the use of his private car,
including kitchen stove, chef and other necessities. I have answered
that I accept the invitation, not for self, but for daughter and friends
and Comet; which latter must have free transportation on first-class
fast-going freight, or he is no friend of mine. You will be hearing from
Ignatius now pretty soon. Your old dad will be answerable for all other
expenses, including hotel and-so-forth and if the and-so-forth is bigger
than the hotel bill, he'll never even chirp. Life is short and time is
fleeting and young girls must go South in the winter when they have a
chance."

So, that is how the Motor Maids happened to be the four busiest young
women in West Haven--what with those abominable High School examinations
