The Automobile Girls at Palm Beach Part 25

He pressed the girl's hand but she drew away with a petulant expression.

"Please don't, Papa. You know how I detest public demonstrations."

"Oh-h-h!" cried the others.

A sky rocket had exploded and thousands of stars hung for an instant suspended in mid-air. Then an entire artillery of Roman candles seemed to be let loose at once. There was a blare of trumpets, a grand burst of music and the gorgeous water pageant was outlined against the sky like an illuminated picture.

Other boats began dropping out of line after the music had stopped, and Mr. Stuart ordered the engineer to run farther out into the lake where the illumination could be seen to better advantage. Grace struck a chord on her guitar and began to sing: "'Tis night on Venice waters," when Marian, to the surprise of the others, suddenly joined in with a sweet contralto voice.

"Why, Marian, I never dreamed you could sing like that," exclaimed Ruth, when the song was done.

Marian blushed, but said nothing. She had hardly spoken during the whole evening.

The air was full of music that night and the sound of laughter and singing floated across the lake from scores of other boats. The strains of the "Ma.r.s.eillaise" came to them from a launch that Maud had been watching for some time.

"I know whose voice that is," said Barbara. "It's Monsieur Duval's."

"It is, I think," replied Ruth, "although the boat is too far away for us to see him plainly."

Marian drew a scarf over her head and crouched down in her seat.

"Could she be afraid of her own mother?" wondered Barbara, for Mrs. De Lancey Smythe was easily recognized as one of the occupants of the boat.

The count, who was playing on a tinkling little mandolin, sat beside her. As the boat drew nearer they noticed another figure wrapped in a long blue broadcloth cape. It was that of a woman, sitting with her back to them. A scarf concealed her head and face.

"Barbara," whispered Ruth, "are we dreaming or is it the Countess Sophia?"

Barbara strained her eyes to distinguish the figure. Mollie and Grace also had seen the familiar wrap and poor little Mollie's face burned with something very like mortification.

The boat skimmed lightly over the water and in a moment only the lantern at its bow could be seen swinging in the blackness.

"It looks like the countess," whispered Barbara briefly in reply.

"Marian," she said, turning to the other girl who had closed her eyes as though she wished to shut out the sight of the other boat, "we just saw your mother go past with Monsieur Duval and the count, and we thought--we were almost certain we recognized the other person in the boat. Did you notice who it was?"

Marian opened her eyes and looked straight into Barbara's.

"I am sorry, Barbara," she said sadly, "but I can't answer that question to-night."

CHAPTER XIX

RED DOMINOS

The water fete a thing of the past, the Warrens' domino ball became the excitement of the hour.

The "Automobile Girls" were talking over their costumes when there came a rap on their door.

Grace responded, to find the corridor empty; but at her feet lay a sealed envelope addressed to Barbara, who hastily tore it open and read aloud the enclosed note.

"Maud and the Count have planned to elope during the domino ball. At midnight Maud and her chaperon will steal out of the side entrance of the hotel. The chaperon will wear a black domino, but will remain in her room until ten minutes before midnight, when she will go to the veranda, meet Maud, and the two will go to the east entrance of the hotel grounds, where they will be met by the count with an automobile. They will go to the village and be married there. Arrangements have been made and the license secured. Maud will wear a red silk domino and a black mask. Just over her heart will be a small black silk heart the size of the one enclosed. I promised to warn you should anything serious arise, and have done so at great personal risk.

Stop the elopement if you can without outside aid. Some day I will explain why.

"M. S."

"'M. S.' Marian Smythe. She is a good scout, girls," said Ruth. "But I didn't think that Maud would go so far as this."

"This pattern for the heart--I imagine that Marian is suggesting that we all wear dominos exactly like Maud's. But why?" put in Barbara.

"We'll take that step in the dark, for Father is waiting now to telegraph for the silk to make our dominos, and discuss details later."

"I did want a pink domino," sighed Mollie. "But you're right, Ruth; and the count will be a dizzy man before we're through with him!"

"Won't the count be suspicious on seeing five Mauds and change his plans?" asked Grace.

"He'll not see five Mauds. There will be a big crowd at the ball, and four of the Mauds will carefully keep out of one another's way,"

explained Ruth.

It was after the girls had gone to bed that night that the full answer came to Ruth, so she aroused Barbara to tell her of the plan.

"I have it, Bab! We'll switch couples on the count! I'm sorry, but you'll have to take the risk, for you're the only one tall enough to represent Maud. I'm sure that Mrs. De Lancey Smythe is to be the chaperon on the occasion, and if we can persuade Aunt Sallie--and I think we can--to take her place, our Count de Sonde will find himself with the wrong pair on his hands--and, oh, Bab, shan't we have fun seeing the count rage!"

It was a brief statement of the plan, but Barbara understood.

"Maud will not be easy to fool, and what if the count gets the right pair?"

"Just before the hour set, one of us will get a note to Mrs. Smythe changing the place of meeting. There--at the new place--Maud and her chaperon will wait in vain for her count, who will be eloping with the wrong couple."

"It leaves many loopholes for failure, but I can think of no better way; so I'm for it if your Aunt Sallie consents."

"Monsieur Duval is the unknown X of the problem," stated Ruth slowly, "but that's one of the many chances we'll have to take."

At last it was the night of the ball.

"How lovely!"

One of the five red dominos paused on the threshold of the ball room, almost breathless with admiration. Glowing lights, exotic decorations, swaying, brilliantly clad figures moving to perfect dance music, made indeed an entrancing scene.

"Yes, lovely, but lovelier outside. Shall we go into the garden?"

whispered a voice in the ear of the little red domino.

"Not yet," she responded, and sped away among the dancers.

"Mademoiselle," whispered a voice that made the blood of a second red domino tingle, "is it all arranged?"

"Yes," she answered under her breath.

"You won't fail us?" whispered the other.