At this point in his meditations, when, unnoticed, he had almost reached the end of the elm-shaded village street, a loud "Honk! Honk!" suddenly startled him.
He looked up, and his gloom vanished like a summer cloud as he saw smiling down on him from the driver's seat of the big auto which had just rolled up beside him, the sunny countenance of Jess Prescott. She was in automobile attire and looked unusually attractive.
"Oh, I am so glad I've run across you," she exclaimed.
"Run across me, of course," was the response. "But what are you doing in town? And driving your own car, too. Where is Jimsy?"
"You certainly do," rejoined the lad with a great deal of emphasis.
"Well, that being the case, you are commanded to jump in by me at once. I've got an errand or two to do and then I'm driving home. We'll go by your place and I can drop you there."
"That's very good of you----" began Roy, but Jess cut him short.
"It's really selfish," she exclaimed. "I was looking for an escort. I really need one. You haven't got a revolver with you, have you?"
"Good gracious," exclaimed the astonished boy as he climbed into the big car; "no, of course not. Whatever do you want one for?"
"Why," confided Jess, as they sped along, "I'm on my way to the bank. Mother is going to a big dinner party to-night and I volunteered to fetch out her jewels for her from the safe deposit vault where she keeps them."
"And you were afraid of robbers holding you up?"
"Of course not," laughed the girl, skillfully dodging a vagrant dog that sped across the road in front of the big car; "but just the same, I'm glad to have a nice big boy like you with me. You see, some of the jewels are very valuable, and one never knows what might happen."
"No," agreed Roy; "but in broad daylight, on the road between Sandy Bay and your home, there could hardly be any risk. For instance, who would know that you had valuables in the car?"
"Nobody, except some of the servants at home probably," responded Jess. "But here's the bank."
As she spoke she skillfully manipulated her levers and pedals and brought the car to a stop against the curb as neatly as any driver could have accomplished it.
The car had hardly come to a stop before the bank door flew open and Fanning Harding emerged, his features drawn up into what he meant to be a pleasing smile, but which more resembled a smirk.