The Automobile Girls at Palm Beach Part 8

The countess looked puzzled.

Mr. Stuart laughed. "My dear Countess," he explained, "the 'Automobile Girls' are not exactly Knights of the Round Table, but they have a kind of league of their own. I think they have formed a sort of Helping Hand Society. They have a pretty good theory that there is no reason why boys should enjoy all the adventures and thrilling experiences. If there is anything to be done, why, do it! Isn't that the motto, girls? I think the countess would be amazed if she knew what you have been through in the way of adventure. Now, they have undertaken to look after a misguided maiden. And I think they are rather piling on the horrors in her case."

"Now, Father, you've no right to tease," protested Ruth. "You are the very person who made us promise to stand by Maud Warren through thick and thin."

"So I did," agreed Mr. Stuart. "But I had no romantic notions that Maud was to be protected from the Count de Sonde. I only consented to have you persuade Maud from certain undesirable a.s.sociates by showing her how much more desirable you are. Now, I plainly see the object of your protective a.s.sociation has changed."

"Now, Father, you are teasing," exclaimed his daughter.

"How can you accuse me of any such thing?" replied Mr. Stuart, his eyes twinkling.

"He always teases," Ruth explained to the countess and Madame de Villiers. "It's second nature to him. He can't help it. But putting aside all jesting, I am going to speak very plainly about several things. I am sorry to be obliged to backbite, but really and truly we don't like Mrs. De Lancey Smythe. She is the most disagreeable person we know, and we are going to try gradually to wean Maud Warren from her.

Maud thinks that she is wonderful and a great society leader, but I think if one made careful inquiry into the matter, one would find her name among those missing from the social world."

"Ruth, my dear," expostulated Miss Stuart. "You are entirely too impetuous!"

"Do allow her to go on, Miss Stuart," begged Madame de Villiers. "She is one after my own heart. It is refreshing to find some one who is not afraid to speak plainly."

"Well," continued Ruth, highly elated at receiving the approbation of the stern old woman. "We are going to checkmate Mrs. D. L. S. at her own game. She is trying to throw Maud in line with her own schemes. Enter the 'Automobile Girls.' Exit the enemy. The first battle was fought on the beach this morning, and the situation was strongly defended to the last word by General Barbara Thurston."

"What do you mean, Ruth?" interrupted her father gravely.

Then Ruth launched forth with the account of Mrs. De Lancey Smythe's rudeness to Bab and Bab's reply. "Marian is all right," concluded Ruth, "but her mother is an entirely different proposition."

"So it would seem," murmured the countess thoughtfully. "But suppose the count is really an eligible person, and has fallen in love, in earnest with Miss Warren, and suppose that Miss Warren truly loves him, what then? Would Mr. Warren still be opposed to the marriage?"

"I don't know," replied Ruth doubtfully. "But you see Maud is a girl, and Mr. Warren feels that she is too young to know her own mind. He is afraid that the count's t.i.tle has dazzled her, and he does not like foreigners. He thinks we may be able to disabuse Maud of some of her sentimental ideas. Last night we four girls organized a secret society for the suppression of fortune hunters, and we thought perhaps you might help us----"

"Ruth, my dear child!" protested Miss Sallie greatly shocked.

But old Madame de Villiers' eyes gleamed with amus.e.m.e.nt.

"Indeed, I shall be most happy to become a member of your secret society," rejoined the countess. "How exciting! It must be a real secret society, if we are to be serious. Let me see? We should arrange signals and plan a campaign. If I am right, Miss Maud Warren needs to be treated very delicately and carefully, or she is likely to rebel. Is this not so?"

"That is just what we agreed last night," Ruth confessed.

"But how are we going to prove that Count de Sonde is a fortune-hunter?"

argued Mollie. "For all we know, he may be immensely rich as well as ill.u.s.trious."

"Oh, we shall have to prove that the count is not really in love with Mademoiselle Warren," answered the countess, pinching Mollie's cheek.

She was entering into their little game with a curious zest.

"Or you might prove that he is not a count," interposed Madame de Villiers, with an inscrutable expression on her grim old face.

"Do you believe that he is an impostor, Madame de Villiers?" inquired Miss Sallie.

For a brief instant the countess's eyes met those of Madame de Villiers.

The old lady shrugged her shoulders and lifted her eyebrows in answer to Miss Sallie's question: "The world is so full of impostors, and Europe so full of counts," she said.

The countess blushed hotly. There was an awkward silence.

Miss Sallie was sorry she had spoken. But why should such an idle question cause annoyance? The young count was surely a stranger to her two hostesses. There was nothing to indicate that the young man was in earnest about Maud Warren. He had simply paid her casual attentions for the past few days.

"Shall you and I become members of this secret society, Madame de Villiers?" inquired Miss Stuart, to divert the conversation. "I suppose we had better be content with the posts of confidential agents. Because I a.s.sure you there is no limit to what this society may do."

"And I should prefer to be scout, guardsman, or messenger," agreed Mr.

Stuart. "I, too, shrink from being an active member of such a vigorous organization."

"Then let us leave these faithless people behind, girls," proposed the young countess. "Let us run away to the old boathouse and plan our campaign. We are not sure that we may safely confide to you our secret signals, our hand clasps and our code," she protested to the older people.

Madame de Villiers now led the way into the drawing room.

But the young countess ran lightly out of the house, followed by her four girl guests. "We'll arrange our secrets while our elders take their coffee on the balcony," she suggested.

When the countess and the "Automobile Girls" had disappeared, Madame de Villiers smiled a little apologetically at Miss Stuart and her brother.

"The countess is only a girl herself," she explained. "Of course, she is several years older than your girls. Yet, in many ways, she is still simply a child."

"She is very beautiful and charming," replied Miss Sallie cordially.

"You see how she has fascinated our girls."

"So she does everyone," replied Madame de Villiers, shaking her head somewhat sadly.

In the meantime the five conspirators were absorbed in devising their signals. They were only joking, of course. Yet, somehow, the young countess entered so seriously into their make-believe that the girls almost forgot they were not in earnest. One thing they conscientiously agreed upon--Maud Warren was to be constantly invited to share their pleasures with, or without, her objectionable friends.

"Must the Count de Sonde be permitted always to come along with us and Maud?" Grace queried. She had been taking little part in the conversation, for she had been industriously writing down a list of signals for their new organization.

"We must have him, if Maud won't come without him," replied Ruth. "Maud must be won over to our side by flattering attentions. Suppose we start out being friends with her, by having another luncheon at our hotel.

Will you come, Countess?"

The countess shook her head gently. "I am sorry," she replied a little soberly. "I--" she hesitated a moment. "I fear you will think me rude.

But I have made it a rule never to appear at the hotels. I will do anything else. Suppose we give a picnic? Is not that what you call it in English?"

"A picnic would be delightful," agreed Ruth politely. But she could not help wondering why the countess was not willing "to appear," as she expressed it, at the hotels.

"The signals are ready!" cried Grace. "There are two handshakes. The one which denotes danger is like this: Press the forefinger of one hand into the palm of the other person's hand when you shake hands."

"That is very clever!" exclaimed the countess. She clasped Mollie's little hand. "Now, Mademoiselle Mollie, when you feel my finger press your palm like this, you will know that I am greatly in need of your help."

"A white ribbon bow worn on the left shoulder, means that a secret meeting must be called at once!" Grace declaimed.

"And a blue ribbon bow, worn instead of a white one, proclaims: 'I have important information to communicate,'" added the Countess Sophia. "But I should have a special signal by which to summon you. Let me see. I must be able to signal you from a distance. If I fasten a red flag to one of these posts in the day time you must know that I want to see you very much."

"But what about a night signal?" asked Grace, who was taking the signals very seriously.

The countess laughed. "If ever you should happen to see a bright light shining in the tower of my villa, come to me at once. I shall be in great danger. Now, is not that exciting?" she cried, clasping her hands and smiling at the little company.

At this moment there came a sound of oars dipping in the water. A boat glided from under the pavilion, which was built out over the water. The boat must have been hugging the sh.o.r.e until it reached the boathouse.