“Patty’s quite right,” declared Nan, taking sides with the culprits. “Let’s all go to the dining-room, and then later we’ll hear about Patty’s heroism.”
“Mr. Van Reypen was just as much of a hero as I,” declared Patty, as, with her arm tucked through her father’s, she led the way to the dining-room, where a dainty little supper had been waiting for the return of the missing ones.
“It really wasn’t a matter of heroics,” said Philip Van Reypen; “it was only a simple, plain, everyday breakdown, caused by a separated battery strap. But the glorious part of it all was Miss Fairfield’s cleverness in finding a remedy for the trouble, when it seemed at first there was absolutely none.”
And then, while they ate salad and sandwiches, the interested audience listened to a full description of the breakdown, told in Philip Van Reypen’s most graphic style. In no way did he try to evade the blame for the escapade; he frankly admitted that he ought not to have taken Patty off without permission, but so winning was his frank manner, and so gleeful his enjoyment of the whole recital, that he won the sympathy of all present.
“It’s all right, Philip, my boy,” declared Mr. Fairfield, heartily. “I don’t blame you a bit for yielding to the temptation to slip out of the gate, and of course you could not foresee that peculiar accident. And I am proud of my girl for thinking of a way to fix the thing up! Tinfoil! Well, well! I doubt if I should have thought of that myself!”
Patty smiled and dimpled at the praises showered upon her from all sides, and she caught an approving smile from Mr. Hepworth, which showed his appreciation of what she had done.
“But I’m very sorry to have failed in my duty as hostess,” she said, demurely. “Did you manage to get along without me?”
“Oh, I was here,” said Nan, gaily, “and I kept the young people in order.”
“We did have a lovely time, Patty,” said Elise; “the walk along the beach was delightful; wasn’t it, Christine?”
“Yes,” replied Christine, slowly; “I never saw anything like it. I didn’t know there was so much beauty in the world.”