Not even in Europe had Billie seen such an interesting and varied collection of people in one dining room as she now saw in this remote and obscure little western inn. There was a group of young Englishmen who had bought a great cattle ranch and were on their way to inspect it. There was a party of men traveling West by motor car. Two of them were famous millionaires, she heard it whispered. But most interesting of all, and the one on whom the Motor Maids cast many covert and curious glances, was a beautiful young woman who seemed to be traveling alone.
It so happened that she was placed next to Miss Campbell, who had gathered her charges under her wing at one end of the table, as an anxious little hen gathers her chicks, but by leaning over, they were able to see the strange girl's lovely face; her hazel eyes and red gold hair half hidden under a broad brimmed riding hat. She wore a khaki riding suit with divided skirts, and knotted about her neck was a beautiful burnt orange silk scarf that seemed to tone in with the yellow of her eyes and hair.
They wondered where her party was. Evidently she did not belong to any one at the table for she spoke to no person and scarcely lifted her eyes from her plate.
"Perhaps her mother is ill and she has had to come down alone," thought Elinor, who had conventional ideas rooted so deeply in her soul that nothing could stir them.
"May I ask you for the butter?" Miss Campbell had said in her most polite and perfect manner, and that had started the conversational ball a-rolling.
"With pleasure," answered the strange girl promptly, "although I am afraid you'll be disappointed with the bread. It's quite soggy."
"Perhaps you will allow me to offer you some of our zwieback," put in Miss Campbell, stretching forth her hand for the box. "We have it sent to us from time to time, because we simply cannot eat the bread out here."
"You are traveling West?" asked the girl.
Then Miss Campbell, always ready and willing to make friends, explained and introduced the Motor Maids.
There was something extremely appealing about the beautiful face of the stranger, and when presently she saw that she was attracting the notice of other people at the table, she blushed and pulled her hat well down over her face, and drew nearer to Miss Campbell's side. The girls liked her from the first. Then there was the mystery about her which added to her charm--the mystery of whom she was and where she was going. She had asked questions, but had volunteered nothing about herself.