CHAPTER VI
THE ARREST
After eating supper, and spending the evening at an old-fashionedSouthern Inn on the Virginia side of the Potomac River, the twoautomobile parties started back to Washington.
Barbara and Peter Dillon occupied seats in the car with Harriet and Mr.Meyers, Mrs. Wilson, and two Washington girls who had been members oftheir party.
As Ruth did not know the roads it was decided that she keep to the rearand follow the car in front of her.
It was a clear moonlight night, and, though the roads were not good, nomember of the party dreamed of trouble.
Bab sat next to Charlie Meyers, and her host was in a decidedly sulkytemper. For Harriet had grown tired of his devotion, after several hoursof it during the afternoon, and was amusing herself with Peter.
No sooner had the two cars sped away from the peaceful shadows of Mt.Vernon, than Peter began to play Prince Charming to Harriet.
Charlie Meyers did not know what to do. He was a stupid fellow, whoexpected his money to carry him through everything. He would hardlylisten to Barbara's conversation or take the slightest interest inanything she tried to say.
Every time Harriet's gay laugh rang out from the next seat Charlie Meyerswould drive his car faster than ever, until it fairly bounded over therough places in the road.
Several times Mrs. Wilson remonstrated with him. "You are going too fast,Mr. Meyers. It is dark, and I am afraid we shall have an accident if youare not more careful. Please go slower."
For an instant, Mr. Meyers would obey Mrs. Wilson's request to lessen thespeed of his car. Then he would dash ahead as though the very furies wereafter him.
As for Ruth, she had to follow the automobile in front in order to findher way, so it was necessary for her to run her car at the same highspeed. Neither Ruth nor her companions knew the pitfalls along the road.Hugh did not keep his automobile in Washington, and, though he had ageneral idea of the direction they should take, he had never driven alongthe particular course selected by Mr. Meyers for their return trip.
Ruth felt her face flush with temper as her car shook and plunged alongthe road. In order to keep within a reasonable distance of the heaviercar, she had to put on full power and forge blindly ahead.
Once or twice Ruth called out: "Won't you go a little slower in front,please? I can't find my way along this road at such a swift pace."
But Ruth's voice floated back on the winds and the leading car paid noheed to her.
Then Elmer and Hugh took up the refrain, shouting with all their lungpower. They merely wasted their breath. Charlie Meyers either did nothear them or pretended not to do so. He never once turned his head, orasked if those back of him were making a safe journey.
Barbara was furious. She fully realized Ruth's predicament, although shewas not in her chum's car. "Please don't get out of sight of Ruth's car,Mr. Meyers," Bab urged her companion. But he paid not the slightestattention to her request.
Bab looked anxiously back over the road. Now and then she could see Mr.A. Bubble's lamps; more often Ruth's car was out of sight. Patience wasnot Barbara's strong point.
"Harriet," she protested, "Won't you ask Mr. Meyers to slow down so thatRuth can follow him. He will not pay the least attention to me."
"What is your hurry, Charlie!" asked Harriet, in a most provoking tone.She knew the young fellow was not a gentleman, and that he was showinghis anger against her by making them all uncomfortable. But Harriet wasin a wicked humor herself, and she would not try to appease their crosshost. She was having an extremely pleasant time with Peter Dillon, andreally did not realize Ruth's difficulties.
The front car slowed imperceptibly, then hurried on again.
At about half past ten o'clock, Mr. Meyers turned into one of the narrowold-fashioned streets of the town of Alexandria, which is just south-westof Washington. The town was only dimly lighted and the roads made windingturns, so that it was impossible to see any great distance ahead.
Ruth had managed to keep her car going, though she had long since losther sweet temper, and the others of her party were very angry.
"It serves us right," Hugh Post declared to Ruth. "We ought never to haveaccepted this fellow's invitation. I knew he wasn't a gentleman, and Iknow Mr. Hamlin does not wish Harriet to have anything to do with him.Yet, just because the fellow is enormously rich and gives automobileparties, here we have been spending the evening as his guests. Look here,Ruth, do you think I can forget I have enjoyed his hospitality, andpunch his head for him when we get back to Washington, for leading you ona chase like this?"
Ruth smiled and shook her head. She was seldom nervous about herautomobile after all her experiences as chauffeur. Yet this wild ride atnight through towns of which she knew little or nothing, was not exactlyher idea of sport.
Mr. Bubble was again outdistanced. As the streets were deserted, Ruthdecided to make one more violent spurt in an effort to catch up with thefront car. Poor Mr. A. Bubble who had traveled so far with his carload ofhappy girls was shaking from side to side. But Ruth did not think ofdanger. Alexandria is a sleepy old Southern town and nearly all itsinhabitants were in bed.
"Aren't there any speed regulations in this part of the world, Hugh?"Ruth suddenly inquired.
But she was too late. At this instant everyone in her car heard aloud shout.
"Hold up there! Stop!" A figure on a bicycle darted out of a dark alleyin hot pursuit of them.
"Go it, Ruth!" Hugh whispered. But Ruth shook her head.
"No," she answered. "We must face the music." Ruth put on her stop brakeand her car slowed down.
"What do you mean," cried a wrathful voice, "tearing through a peacefultown like this, lickitty-split, as though there were no folks on earthbut you. You just come along to the station with me! You'll find out,pretty quick, what twenty-five miles an hour means in this here town."
"Let me explain matters to you," Hugh protested. "It is all a mistake."
"I ain't never arrested anybody for speeding yet that they ain't told meit was just a mistake," fumed the policeman. "But you will git a chanceto tell your story to the chief of police. You're just wasting good timetalkin' to me. I ain't got a mite of patience with crazy automobilists."
"Don't take us all to the station house, officer!" Hugh pleaded. "Justtake me along, and let the rest of the party go on back to Washington.It's awfully late. You surely wouldn't keep these young ladies."
"It's the lady that's a-runnin' the car, ain't it? She's the one that isunder arrest," said the policeman obstinately.
Ruth had not spoken since her automobile was stopped.
She had a lump in her throat, caused partly by anger and partly byembarrassment and fright. Then, too, Ruth was wondering what her fatherwould say. In the years she had been running her automobile, over all thethousands of miles she had traveled, Ruth had never before been stoppedfor breaking the speed laws. She had always promised Mr. Stuart to becareful. And one cannot have followed the fortunes of Ruth Stuart and herfriends in their adventures without realizing Ruth's high and fine regardfor her word. Yet here were Ruth and her friends about to be taken tojail for breaking the laws of the little Virginia city.
It was small wonder that Ruth found it difficult to speak.
"I will go with the policeman," she assented. "Perhaps he will let youtake Mollie and Grace on home."
Of course no one paid the slightest attention to Ruth's ridiculoussuggestion. Her friends were not very likely to leave her alone to argueher case before the justice of the peace.
"I say, man, do be reasonable," Hugh urged. He would not give up. "Youcan hold me in jail all night if you will just let the others go."
"Please don't argue with the policeman, Hugh," Ruth begged. "He is onlydoing his duty. I am so sorry, Mollie darling, for you and Grace. But Iknow you won't leave me."
"Oh, we don't mind," the two girls protested. "I suppose we can pay thefine and they will let us go at once."
Hugh said nothing, for he knew tha
t he had only a few dollars inhis pocket.
When Ruth's car finally reached the station house it was almosteleven o'clock.
The policeman took the automobile party inside the station. It was bittercold in the room, for the winter chill had fallen with the close of theDecember day. The fire had died out in the air-tight iron stove in theroom, and Mollie, Ruth and Grace could hardly keep from shivering.
"Well, where is the justice of the peace or whatever man we ought to seeabout this wretched business?" Hugh demanded.
At last the policeman looked a little apologetic. "I'll get some one tomake up a fire for you," he answered. "I have got to go out and wake upthe justice to look after your case. It's bed-time and he's home asleep."
"Do you expect us to sit here in this freezing dirty old room half thenight while you go around looking up a magistrate?" Hugh demanded,wrathfully.
"I told you I would have the fire built up," the policeman answeredsullenly. "But it ain't my fault you got into this trouble. You oughtnot to have broken the law. We have had about as much trouble withautomobilists in this here town as we are willing to stand for. And Imight as well tell you, right now, the court will make it pretty hot foryou. It may be I can't get the justice to hear your case until to-morrow,and you'll have to stay here all night."
"Stay here all night!" cried the five young people, as they sank downinto five hard wooden chairs in utter despair.
"Harriet, have you seen Ruth's automobile?" Bab asked, as Charlie Meyers'car got safely out of Alexandria and started on the road towardWashington.
Harriet and Peter both looked around and strained their eyes in thedarkness. But there was no sign of Ruth or her party.
"Don't you think we had better go back a little, Charlie?" Harriet nowsuggested. "I am afraid you have gotten too far ahead of Ruth for her tofollow you."
"What has Miss Stuart got Hugh Post and Elmer Wilson with her for, ifthey can't show her the way to town?" argued the impolite host of theautomobile parties.
"I think Charlie is right, Harriet. I would not worry," interposed Mrs.Wilson, in her soft tones. "Elmer may not have known the road during theearly part of our trip, but neither one of the boys is very apt to losehis way between Alexandria and Washington." Mrs. Wilson laughed at thevery absurdity of the idea.
Harriet said nothing more, and, although Bab was by no means satisfied,she felt compelled to hold her peace.
"Will you leave me at my house, Charlie?" Mrs. Wilson demanded, as soonas their automobile reached Washington. "I know Harriet expects to make aWelsh rarebit for you at her home, but I am going to ask you to excuseme. I am a good deal older than you children, and I am tired."
When Barbara reached the Hamlin house she hoped ardently to see thefamiliar lights of her old friend, A. Bubble waiting outside the door.But the street was bare of automobiles.
There was nothing to do but to follow the other young people into thehouse and take off her hat and coat. But Bab had not the heart to joinHarriet in the dining-room where the preparations for making the rarebitwere now going on. She lingered forlornly in the hall. Every now and thenshe would peer anxiously out into the darkness. Still there was no signof Ruth or any member of her party! Barbara was wretched. She was nowconvinced that some accident had befallen them.
"Come in, Barbara," called Harriet cheerfully. "The Welsh rarebit isdone and it has to be eaten on the instant. I will make another forRuth's crowd when they get in. They are certainly awfully slow inarriving."
"Harriet!" Barbara's white face appeared at the dining-room door. "Ihate to be a nuisance, but I am dreadfully worried about the othergirls. I know they would have gotten home by this time if nothing hadhappened to them."
Poor Barbara had to make a dreadful effort to swallow her pride, forCharlie Meyers had been dreadfully rude to her all afternoon. "Mr.Meyers," she pleaded, "won't you take me back in your car to look for myfriends? I simply can't bear the suspense any longer." Barbara's eyeswere full of tears.
"Oh, Bab, you are foolish to worry," Harriet protested. "It would not beworth while for you and Mr. Meyers to go back now. You would only passRuth on the road. It is nearly midnight."
"I know it is," Bab agreed. "And that is why I am so frightened. Don'tyou think you could take me to look for them? Please do, Mr. Meyers."
The ill-bred fellow shrugged his shoulders. "What do you take me for,Miss Thurston? I am not going to let my rarebit get cold. There isnothing the matter with your friends. They are likely to be along atany minute."
Barbara did not know what to do. Mr. Hamlin had not yet come in. Yet shemust find out what had happened to Ruth, Mollie and Grace. Bab oncethought of starting out alone and on foot, back up the long country road,but she gave up the idea as sheer foolishness.
At that moment the grandfather's clock in the hall chimed midnight.Almost two hours had passed since the two automobiles had enteredAlexandria, and the little town was only eight miles from Washington.
Bab felt she was going to cry before Harriet's guests. She slipped herhand in her pocket to find her handkerchief. As she silently pressed herhandkerchief against her trembling lips she smelt a delicate perfume.Something fresh and cool and aromatic touched her face. It was the tinyrose-bud Peter Dillon had presented to her in the garden!
Now Bab had determined never to ask Peter to do her a favor. She feltthat, once she returned his pledge to him, he had the same right to aska favor of her. But what could Barbara do? Her beloved sister andfriends had certainly come to grief somewhere. And Bab was helpless tofind them alone.
"Mr. Dillon," Bab spoke under her breath, just showing her handkerchiefto him with the rose-bud crushed between its damp folds, "won't you helpme to find Ruth?" Bab only glanced at the flower with a shy smile. ButPeter saw it.
He jumped to his feet, his face flushing.
"Put the flower back, Miss Thurston," he said quietly to Barbara. "You donot need to ask me to help you look for your friends as a favor to you. Iam ashamed of myself to have waited until you asked me. Harriet, I amgoing back to look for your guests."
Harriet, who was also feeling uneasy without being willing to confess it,cheerfully agreed.
"I am going to take your car, Meyers," declared Peter Dillon withoutsaying so much as by your leave.
Bab and Peter Dillon hurried out to the waiting automobile. Both stoppedonly to take coats and caps from the rack in the hall.
If Peter Dillon wished to make a friend of Barbara Thurston, his promptresponse to her plea for help came nearer accomplishing it than anythingelse in the world. When Peter refused Bab's proffered rose-bud she thendetermined to do him any favor that she could whenever he might desire toask it of her.
Automobile Girls at Washington; Or, Checkmating the Plots of Foreign Spies Page 6