Mrs. MacCall "shooed" Tess and Dot into the house, murmuring her thanks to providence over the escape, and, after a while, the excitement died away and Ruth went on with her meeting.

The Civic Betterment League was formed that afternoon and eventually, perhaps, did some good. But what this story is to concern itself with is the adventure on a houseboat of the Corner House girls. Meanwhile about a week went by. There had been no more elevator episodes, though this does not mean that Sammy did not make mischief, nor that Tess and Dot kept out of it. Far from that.

One bright afternoon, when school was out and the pre-supper appet.i.tes of Dot and Tess had been appeased, the two came running into the room where Ruth and Agnes sat.

"He's here! He's come!" gasped Tess.

"And he's got, oh, such a dandy!" echoed Dot.

"Who's here, and what has he?" asked Agnes, flying out of her chair.

"You shouldn't say anything is a 'dandy,'" corrected Ruth to her youngest sister.

"Well it is, and you told me always to tell the truth," was the retort.

"It's Mr. Howbridge and he's out in front with a--the--er the beautifulest automobile!" cried Tess. "It's all shiny an' it's got wheels, an'--an' everything! It's newer than our car."

Ruth was sufficiently interested in this news to look from the window.

"It _is_ Mr. Howbridge," she murmured, as though there had been doubts on that point.

"And he must have a new auto," added Agnes. "Oh, he has!" she cried.

A moment later they were welcoming their guardian at the door, while the smaller children formed an eager and anxious background.

"What has happened?" asked Agnes, while Ruth, remembering her position as head of the family, asked:

"Won't you come in?"

"I'd much rather you would come out, Miss Ruth," the man responded. "It is just the sort of day to be out--not in."

"Especially in such a car as that!" exclaimed Agnes. "It's a--"

"Be careful," murmured Ruth, with an admonishing glance from Agnes to the smaller girls. "Little pitchers, you know--"

"It's a wonderful car!" went on Agnes. "Is it yours?"

"Well, I sometimes doubt a little, when I recall what it cost me," her guardian answered with a laugh. "But I am supposed to be the owner, and I have come to take you for a ride."

"Oh, can't we go?" came in a chorus from Tess and Dot.

"Yes, all of you!" laughed Mr. Howbridge. "That's why I waited until school was out. They may come, may they not, Miss Ruth?" he asked.

Always he was thus deferential to her when a question of family policy came up.

"Yes, I think so," was the low-voiced answer. "But we planned to have an early tea and--"

"Oh, I promise to get you back home in plenty of time," the lawyer said, with a laugh. "And after that, if you like, we might take another ride."

"How wonderful!" murmured Agnes.

"Won't you stay to tea?" asked Ruth.

"I was waiting for that!" exclaimed Mr. Howbridge. "I shall be delighted. Now then, youngsters, run out and hop in, but don't touch anything, or you may be in a worse predicament than when you were in the clothes basket elevator."

"We won't!" cried Tess and Dot, running down the walk.

"You must come back and be washed!" cried Ruth. It was a standing order--that, and the two little girls knew better than to disobey.

But first they inspected the new car, walking all around it, and breathing in, with the odor of gasoline, the awed remarks of some neighboring children.

"That's part our car," Dot told these envious ones, as she and Tess started back toward the house. "We're going for a ride in it, and don't you dare touch anything on it or Mr. Howbridge'll be awful mad!"

"Um, oh, whut a lubly auto," murmured Alfredia Blossom, who had come on an errand to her grandfather, Uncle Rufus. "Dat's jest de beatenistest one I eber see!"

"Yes, it is nice," conceded Tess, proudly, airily and condescendingly.

A little later the two younger children and Agnes sat in the rear seat, while Ruth was beside Mr. Howbridge at the steering wheel. Then the big car purred off down the street, like a contented cat after a saucer of warm milk.

"It was very good of you to come and get us," said Ruth, when they were bowling along. "Almost the christening trip of the car, too, isn't it?"

she asked.

"The very first trip I have made in it," was the answer. "I wanted it properly christened, you see. There is a method in my madness, too. I have an object in view, Martha."

Sometimes he called Ruth this, fancifully, with the thought in mind that she was "c.u.mbered with many cares."

Again he would apply to her the nickname of "Minerva," with its suggestion of wisdom. And Ruth rather liked these fanciful appellations.

"You have an object?" she repeated.

"Yes," he answered. "As usual, I want your advice."

"As if it was really worth anything to you!" she countered.

"It will be in this case, I fancy," he went on with a smile. "I want your opinion about a ca.n.a.l boat."

CHAPTER V

THE HOUSEBOAT

Ruth stole a quick glance at the face of her guardian. There was a silence between them for a moment, broken only by the purr of the powerful machine and the suction of the rubber tires on the street.

Agnes, Dot and Tess were having a gay time behind the two figures on the front seat.

"A ca.n.a.l boat?" murmured Ruth, as if she had not heard aright.