by Mabel Maney
Lauren just scowled and pretended she hadn't heard.
"Why don't you take off your cap?" Velma wondered. "You have such pretty hair." Lauren blushed and did as Velma suggested.
Midge scowled. Cherry beamed.
"Let's go!" Midge cried suddenly in a testy tone. She gripped the back of Velma's chair. "Let's go, Velma," she said.
Velma gave Midge an imperious look. "I'm going to fix my lipstick," she said calmly. "Then we'll go." She headed for the ladies' lounge with Lauren hot on her heels. Midge followed them both.
From the little shriek that came a moment later, Cherry knew that Midge had once again been mistaken for a boy. She saw the grim restaurant manager roughly escort red-faced Midge out to the parking lot.
Cherry gulped down one last bite of her scrumptious liver loaf. She realized that Nancy had barely touched a bite of her cottage cheese and gelatin salad, although she had managed to finish her cocktail! "Is there something else you'd like?" Cherry quizzed her, determined to get some nourishment in her friend.
"I'll be right back," Nancy murmured as she grabbed her purse and jumped up from the table. "I'm going to freshen up and then try to reach Bess and George again," she called over her shoulder.
Cherry stuck some crackers in her purse, hoping she would be able to talk her chum into eating something later. By the time she had paid the bill, tipped the waitress, and purchased a package of chewing gum, she had used up every penny of the pin money she'd squirreled away for small amusements.
She went out to the parking lot and found Midge, leaning against the trunk of the car smoking a cigarette with a sour expression on her face.
"How am I going to buy postcards to send to my friends?" Cherry wailed. But Midge didn't seem to hear her.
"Did you happen to see my girlfriend?" Midge wanted to know.
Cherry shook her head. "Come to think of it, I haven't seen Velma or Lauren since they had disappeared into the ladies' lounge ten minutes ago," she said.
"What do you think they're doing in there?" Midge wondered softly.
Cherry shrugged. "Trying out new hairstyles?" she guessed brightly.
Midge laughed bitterly. "I'll bet that's it," she said. But Cherry didn't think Midge sounded convinced. Cherry wished she knew what was bothering Midge all of a sudden. Oh, they had been through many an adventure together, and a girl couldn't ask for anyone braver or bolder than Midge Fontaine, but Cherry knew that under all that teasing and joking beat a real girl's heart. One that broke easily, Cherry suspected.
Midge was looking at Cherry queerly, as if she could read her mind. She dug through her pockets and came up with a dollar. "For your postcards," Midge smiled as she handed it to Cherry.
Cherry gave Midge a quick peck on the cheek. She put the worn dollar in her purse. "I'm going to wait until we get to the Rockies to spend it," she planned out loud. "They'll have the best scenic postcards."
"That's a good idea, Cherry," Midge said. Suddenly, she perked up. "Look, here's Velma."
Velma smiled as she crossed the parking lot to join them.
"What have you and Lauren been doing all this time?" Midge asked in a casual tone.
"Oh, just talking," Velma said. She got behind the wheel, took a chiffon scarf from her purse, and tied it around her hairdo. "I'll drive next, okay? I'm getting awfully antsy just sitting all day."
Cherry checked her little book. "It's really Nancy's turn," she said. "But I think it will be okay. I wish Nancy would hurry up and get out here," she worried aloud. "We're going to fall way behind schedule. And where's Lauren? It seems like she's always running off."
"Lauren will be out soon," Velma said. "Don't worry about her."
"I'm going to get a newspaper so I can check the weather report," Cherry decided.
"What do you and Lauren have to talk about?" Midge wanted to know once Cherry had left. She slid into the seat next to Velma.
"Girl stuff," Velma said in a casual manner. She took out her compact and powdered her nose.
"What kind of girl stuff?" Midge asked anxiously.
"It's a secret, Midge."
"Even from me?" Midge sounded hurt.
"Especially from you," Velma declared, refusing to budge an inch. She snapped her compact shut.
"Fine," Midge said, in a sullen tone.
Velma rolled her eyes. "You are such a big baby," she teased Midge.
"I'm in no mood to be teased," Midge grumbled. "I'm all sore because I had to sleep on a stupid cot all night-aloneand now-" Velma stopped her angry words with a big kiss.
"I am in a mood to be teased," Velma whispered. "If we don't get somewhere soon where we can be alone, I don't know what I'll do," she sighed in Midge's ear.
Midge gulped hard. Golly, she loved her girlfriend!
"Let's get out at the next big town and take a train with a sleeper car to Illinois," Midge grinned.
Velma snuggled close. "What's on your mind, babe?" she asked. "I mean, besides-"
"Besides a long, slow train ride?" Midge laughed. Then she shrugged. "I'm worried about Nancy's scheme. You know how you're always telling me that I have to stop jumping to conclusions all the time? I'm trying, but, well, I just have a bad feeling about this plan of Nancy's to waltz into River Depths and spill the beans about everyone's favorite dad."
"I hope this time you're wrong, Midge," Velma said.
"Me, too. All in all, I guess I'd better stay," Midge admitted. "Someone on this trip's got to have a level head," she said, in all seriousness.
"And who would that be?" Velma giggled. "I don't know, Midge. I'd use a lot of words to describe you, but level-headed wouldn't be one of them." She whispered some of those words in Midge's ear until Midge turned bright red and pulled Velma close for a big kiss just as Cherry appeared back at the car with a horrified expression on her pretty face.
"Midge, Velma, look!" she shrieked. In her hand was a copy of the Wyoming Buffalo Bulletin. And on the front page was a photograph of Nancy, with the caption, "Have you seen this girl?"
Midge closely examined the photograph. "Why is Nancy wearing a tiara?" she wondered.
"Nancy was Miss River Depths 1955," Cherry replied. "I guess it was the most recent picture the newspaper had on file."
"We're safe then," Midge cracked. "As long as we don't let Nancy wear her crown outside of the car, no one could possibly spot her from this picture."
Cherry could see that Midge had a point. "Yes, this photograph is obviously a poor-quality reproduction and four years old, besides. And Nancy's hair is much more modern now than it was when this photograph was taken," she said. "Plus, today she's wearing a casual shirtwaist dress, suitable for car travel, and simple white moccasins. Surely no one will think she's anyone other than a girl on vacation."
"So there's no problem," Midge said. "Let's get the others and get out of here."
"But look, Midge, there's more! " Cherry cried as she scanned the news article below the picture. In a tremulous tone, she read the horrible story aloud.
DESIRE TO "RULE THE ROOST" MAY HAVE TRIGGERED CRIME, SAYS CRIMINAL EXPERT
River Depths, Illinois-Horrible housekeeper Miss Hannah Gruel, once celebrated for her prize-winning huckleberry pies, now sits in the cell which will likely be her home for years to come. Just twelve days ago, Miss Gruel shot her employer, prominent attorney Carson Clue, during a domestic dispute, leaving him to die on the floor of his newly refurbished Formica kitchen.
"I told that man time and time again to stay out of my kitchen while I was baking," Miss Gruel declared as she was taken away in handcuffs from the murder scene. Steelyeyed Hannah has maintained a grim silence ever since. River Depthians are left wondering, what made this simple housekeeper suddenly go berserk?
"Hannah Gruel obviously has a deep desire to dominate and one day she could no longer contain herself, and she snapped," said Prof. Melvin P. Merville, well-known expert and widely read author on matters of the criminal mind. "It's the classic Rule-the-Roost Syndrome, so com
mon in frustrated spinsters who have trouble accepting male authority."
"Why, Nancy would be so upset if she knew the horrible things people are saying about Hannah! She'd probably have a hysterical nervous breakdown!" Cherry cried, waving her arms about in excitement. "I must hide this newspaper immediately," she said as she stuffed the paper in her purse. She snapped her purse shut just in the nick of time, for Nancy had come outside. By the look on her face, Cherry could tell she had had no luck reaching her chums, Bess and George. But she had combed her titian hair into an attractive ponytail.
"It's time to go," Midge breathed a sigh of relief upon spying Lauren straggling out to join them. Lauren, Cherry, and Nancy climbed into the back seat and made themselves comfortable. Velma started the car and backed out of the parking lot, only to narrowly miss being rear-ended by a dusty brown Impala.
"Watch out, Velma!" Cherry cried, just in the nick of time.
Velma hit the brakes, and the Impala swerved and sped past them.
"Say, isn't that the same car that passed us back in Idaho yesterday?" Midge cried out.
"Oh, it couldn't be," Cherry countered. "Midge, you're so paranoid!" she teased.
Velma gave a little laugh and Midge tried to hush her by biting her neck, which only made her giggle harder. Soon everyone except Lauren was laughing joyously as they headed east into the system of canyons and peaks that made up one of the most noteworthy landscapes in the world. Cherry felt in her purse for the offending newspaper. She would throw it away at the first opportunity. Nancy must never see it!
Cherry put her hand in Nancy's and gave it a little squeeze. "Rocky Mountains, here we come!" she cried happily.
* * *
CHAPTER 13
* * *
A Cheery Hello
Dear Mother and Father,
Am having a splendid time. The Rocky Mountains are even more magnificent than I imagined! I'll call you when we get to River Depths (That's in Illinois, the "Land of Lincoln.") Today we drove by the famous Abraham Lincoln statue near Laramie, Wy. Imagine! It's twelve and a half feet tall and made completely of bronze! Mr. Lincoln certainly was tall! Ha! Ha!
On to Nebraska!
Much love, your daughter,
Cherry Aimless, R.N.
P.S. Is your telephone out of order?
* * *
CHAPTER 14
* * *
A Sudden Crash
"Oh, no!" Midge groaned as she and Velma climbed out of the car to survey the damage to their snappy automobile. Velma had taken her mind off the road ahead for only a split second, but it had been long enough for the car to veer off course and crash into a boulder.
Midge flipped up the hood, and then jumped back in alarm as clouds of steam came pouring out. She vowed that next time she would keep her hands to herself when Velma was driving. "But everyone was asleep in the back seat and I was all alone with Velma and I didn't know I'd cause an accident! " Midge moaned to herself.
The others, awakened by the crash, quickly scrambled out of the car. "Oh, no!" Cherry cried. "What's that leaking out from under the car?"
"What happened?" the girls cried in unison.
Midge turned bright red. "We had a little accident," she explained. "Is anyone hurt?" she asked anxiously.
Cherry, grabbed her firstaid kit, pinned on her spare nurse's cap, and gave each of her chums a quick physical exam. She was relieved to find no one had been injured in the sudden shake-up. But their car was in a sorry state!
"Now we're never going to make it to River Depths! " Cherry blurted out without thinking. When she saw the expression on Velma's face, she immediately regretted her hasty words.
"I'm so sorry!" Velma exclaimed, on the edge of tears. "I must have lost control for a moment."
"No, babe, it's my fault!" Midge cried. "If I hadn't been poking around, er, never mind. I'm the reason we're in this jam, and I'll get us out of it, too.
"And we were almost out of this darn state," they heard her swear in displeasure. "Who'd ever have thought I'd be eager to get to Nebraska?"
"I'll help you, Midge," Nancy declared as she climbed atop the car and peered inside. Cherry thrilled to the sight of the attractive girl standing on the front bumper over the open hood with her legs splayed apart. "It's good to see Nancy back to her old self again," Cherry thought happily.
"How's it look?" Cherry fretted as she watched her chums fiddle with the complicated system of hoses under the hood. "Will it run?"
"That course I took in auto mechanics sure has come in handy on this trip," Nancy joked bravely as she hopped down off the bumper. Then her face grew cloudy. "I fear this car isn't going anywhere without a tow truck," she sighed.
Midge frowned. "The radiator's busted and all the vital fluids have leaked out," she added. "I'm sorry about this, Nancy," she added in a solemn tone. "I'll push it to the nearest service station."
Velma put her hands on her full, rounded hips and raised one shapely eyebrow. "I'll help, but first let me take off my high heels," she said, balancing herself against the car to remove her three-inch, T-strap summer sandals.
Midge assured her that she didn't need any help. She bent down and put her strong muscles to work, but the car wouldn't budge!
"Wait, we forgot to remove the suitcases," Cherry said. She snapped open the trunk and took out Nancy's three-piece powder blue monogrammed travel set and matching cosmetics case, Midge's battered leather valise, Velma's pink travel bag and Lauren's knapsack.
"Try again," Velma urged. This time, over Midge's objections, she added her weight to the force. But still the car didn't move.
Cherry peered into the deep trunk. "Maybe it's Lauren's rock collection. It's certainly grown since this morning," she mused. It took the girls almost ten minutes to clear the trunk of the many different boulders, rocks, and pebbles Lauren had picked up in the Rocky Mountains. "I hope she left some for the other travelers," Cherry said in concern.
"That darn kid!" Midge cried in an exasperated tone. "She's becoming a big pain in the neck! We've got enough to do without having to haul a mountain around with us. Who on earth would want this many dumb rocks?" Midge muttered. "Why can't she collect something small, like stamps or matchbooks? Whose bright idea was this to begin with?"
"I thought it would be fun and educational and keep her occupied," Cherry said meekly.
"Where is Lauren?" Velma jumped in. The girls looked around, but their sixteen-year-old traveling companion was nowhere to be found.
"Great. Now we have a disappearing kid on our hands," Midge said in disgust.
"I'll bet she's wandered off to find another rock," Cherry guessed. "According to my travel guide for the state of Wyoming, there are lots of interesting rocks in this area, like terra cotta and jasper." Cherry pronounced the exotic names carefully. She secretly thought it fun to travel cross-country, seeing new and unusual landscapes, people, and rocks. And although Lauren's collection did take up an awful lot of space, they really hadn't lost any time because of it. Besides, Cherry was really beginning to learn something about the fascinating world of rocks and minerals!
"She sure is a funny little kid," Velma remarked. "But sweet. Remember at the beginning of the trip when she told us her father was a rocket-ship engineer? Later she told me he was a geologist, and that's why she knows so much about rocks."
Cherry was astonished by this revelation. "At the Komfort Kourt this morning, when we were brushing our teeth, she told me her father was a spy," Cherry revealed. "And that her mother had been a circus performer and they met on a secret mission under the Big Top."
Midge burst into laughter.
Cherry looked hurt. "I'll bet there are spies in the circus," she said in a wounded tone. "My father says there's spies everywhere these days. You can't be too careful."
"You have to admit, that Lauren is quite a character," Midge chuckled.
Cherry frowned. "Lying is nothing to laugh at, Midge," she said. "That could be a sign of a serious disturbance that c
ould lead to real trouble later. Why, Lauren could even become a juvenile delinquent!"
"Well, whatever her destiny, we can't go anywhere without her," Midge said. She leaned back on the hood of the car, took a cigarette from the pack in her shirt pocket, and lit one. "I'll go after her as soon as I have a cigarette."
"Fine," Nancy said in a brisk tone. "While you do that, I'll walk to town and engage a tow truck to get us out of this jam."
"Good idea, Nancy," Velma agreed. "I don't think Midge should push any more cars."
"A walk to town will be invigorating after a day in the car," Cherry pointed out. Then she blurted, before she could stop herself, "But how ever will we pay for the tow and repair? We only have twenty-four dollars left!"
"We should have taken that nice mechanic Mel up on her offer to bill us, and kept more money back in case of emergencies," Velma said.
"Or left Cherry as collateral," Midge joked.
"We'll put our heads together and come up with something," Cherry said weakly, hoping Nancy didn't notice her red cheeks.
"I know a way to make a few dollars fast," Nancy declared, patting her purse. "I think it's time to take a trip to the jewelry store."
Cherry was puzzled. This didn't seem like a good time at all for Nancy to go shopping! Then it dawned on her what Nancy meant. "You don't mean you're going to sell your precious jewelry, do you?" Cherry gasped. "Oh, no!"
"I've tons more at home," Nancy assured her. She sat down and dumped the contents of her travel jewelry case in her lap.
Cherry went over to get a closer look. She never tired of looking through Nancy's lovely gems. "I like this one best of all," Cherry said, picking up a small silver, diamond-studded brooch in the shape of a horseshoe. It fit quite nicely in the palm of her hand.
