“I’ll race you to shore for it,” said Patty. “If you win, first names go; if I win, we shall continue with the more formal names.”
“All right; it’s an unfair advantage, but I’m going to take it. Of course, I can beat you swimming to shore, but I’ll lag behind a little, and let you think you’re winning, and then pass you with a grand finish.”
“Oh, I don’t know!” said Patty, teasingly, and then they both headed toward shore and swam rapidly.
As he had proposed, Philip kept a few lengths behind her, meanwhile gasping and shouting that he was almost exhausted, and that he feared he could never reach land.
Patty knew this was merely joking, and that soon, with a few strong strokes, he would pass her and come in a long distance ahead. But she had no intention of being beaten so easily. When nearly halfway to land, she saw Kenneth swimming toward her. As they met, she said, “Turn round and swim with me, Ken; quick!”
He did so, and Patty went on, talking rapidly: “I want you to do something for me, Ken. Let me go on, and you turn and delay Mr. Van Reypen. I don’t care what you do,—talk to him, duck him, or tease him in any way,—but somehow or other keep him back until I reach shore, and don’t let him know you’re doing it purposely.”
“All right, count on me;” and Kenneth turned, and circled leisurely around, until he came face to face with Philip Van Reypen. “Hello!” he said. “You’re a ripping good swimmer! I want to show you a new stunt I learned lately. Mighty few could appreciate it, as I know you can.”
“Some other time, Harper,” hastily spoke Mr. Van Reypen. “I want to speak to Miss Fairfield just now.”
“Oh, she won’t mind,” said Kenneth, taking care to keep directly in Van Reypen’s way. “You see, you start sideways and then——”
“Oh, I say, Harper, wait till some other time! Let me pass, please. I’ll be back in ten minutes, and glad to learn your new trick.”