LITMIR.BIZ

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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. Steely-eyed 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 common 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 hear 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

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