"For mercy's sake! Didn't you and Pa's chauffeur overhaul both the cars thoroughly when you knew we were going on this trip?"
"Your father sent this machine to the garage in Elmertown, 'cause he said they'd know how to do the job up better'n us," explained Jim.
"Then it serves Dad right if he has to pay for a new spring! The idea of trusting strangers with his car at this important time! But here we are with a wornout old spring on our hands!" cried Ruth, stamping her foot impatiently.
"Oh no, Ruth, not on our hands but what is ten times worse on the rear end of the car," laughed Hester.
"Well, we've got to go slow, I suppose, and stop somewhere to replace the old thing," grumbled Ruth, climbing back in the car.
"If 'Liza knew of this mischance, wouldn't she gloat over her 'Friday Bad Luck' prophecy?" laughed Ann.
Jim started again, but carefully avoided the ruts and bumps in the road until he came to a large garage. Fortunately for all, they found a new spring in stock and the men were soon at work replacing the bad one.
"Hurrah for us Jinx-breakers! This bit of luck in finding a new spring on hand more than offsets a Friday curse," gleefully cried Ruth.
"You young ladies sure are lucky, but it will take some time to do the work, an' you may as well take a walk and see our nice Jersey town," suggested the proprietor of the garage.
The scouts followed this sensible advice and stopped at a shop where they treated each other to soda, candy, and peanuts. There being nothing more thrilling to do, they sat down in the Park and ate the plebeian delicacy and talked.
"I love peanuts, don't you?" Anne asked of the girls.
"Yes, but they have to be enjoyed away from home, or folks will make fun of you," added Ruth.
"Not any more, Ruth. When a five-cent bag of peanuts, these days, only contains ten nuts that lifts them out of the cheap class," laughed Hester.
"And makes them a luxury, eh?" added Judith.
By the time the peanuts were gone, Jim signaled the girls and they hurried back to the garage. It took but a moment for them to jump in and urge Jim to hurry after Verny's car, somewhere in the lead.
Mile after mile of beautiful woodland, with now and then a small town, but with many flourishing farms along the way, were reeled off rapidly as the machine sped along as if on wings. Finally they reached a crossroad where the signboard warned them: "All travel limited to eight miles per hour."
"Slow down, Jim, or you'll land us in a county jail," called Ruth.
"Then Mrs. Vernon must be in jail 'cause she ain't in sight along the road, and to get as far as this she had to speed," declared Jim.
"It's funny she wouldn't stop to find out what became of us, when we dropped so far behind," ventured Hester.
"They'll look us up at mealtime, never fear," laughed Anne. "We've got the hamper with us, you know."
The others laughed at this remark, but they had not gone much farther along the road before they spied the Vernon automobile waiting under a great oak tree. When the tardy car came up, both parties began to shout, some asking where the delinquents had been, and the unfortunates to demand why folks wouldn't look behind once in a while!
Finally Jim could make himself heard, and he explained about the spring and where they had to stop to replace the old one.
"Well, we stopped to discuss ways. We ought to decide the route we want to take before we reach Jersey City," said Mrs. Vernon.
"Which is the route you'd chose, Verny?" added Ruth.
"Well, we can save a lot of time by going along to Edgewater and cross on the Fort Lee boat. That takes us right to 130th Street and Broadway, New York. We avoid all crowds and city streets, but you will not see anything of the life and bustle of New York City."
"How much time will we save?" asked Julie.
"Because we've lost so much over that old spring," added Ruth.
Mrs. Vernon smiled. "From upper New York we can drive right onto the State Road that runs direct to Albany. By selecting that way we will save a great deal of time, because traffic
in the city is so congested that every driver has to travel slow and fall in line back of endless cars. At every corner when the signal holds up the entire line one has to stop to permit crosstown traffic a chance."
"Then for goodness' sake, let's go through the country on this side of the Hudson, and cross where you said Fort Lee Ferry," declared Julie.
Every one agreeing to this decision, the plan was carried out as outlined by the Captain. Once on Broadway, where it passes Van Cortlandt Park, the girls called to Mrs. Vernon.
"How about lunch we're famished?"
"Oh, don't let's stop here for lunch. Let's go on till we find a nicer spot in the country," returned Joan.
"Maybe there won't be any better place," demurred Judith.
"Oh, yes, there is. After we leave Yonkers we will find lots of spots, Verny says," called Julie, from the first car.
"We need a shady place where a spring will give us water," said Betty.
"A spring failing to bubble up at the proper place, we may have to be satisfied with a pump at some farmhouse," retorted her sister.