CHAPTER XXIV.
HESTER MAKES AMENDS—CONCLUSION.
A few days later Peggy borrowed Jess’s car and went out for a long, lonely spin along the country roads. She wanted to think. Roy and Jimsy were at home repairing the damage wrought to the Golden Butterfly, which, it turned out, was very slight.
She was driving along a pretty stretch of road when she came across a veritable fairyland of delicate pink wild roses intertwined with honeysuckle and woodbine.
“Oh,” cried Peggy, who simply worshipped flowers, “how beautiful; I must take some of these home. They’ll make all our garden things look mean and shabby.”
Stopping the car she alighted and was soon deep in her occupation of gathering the fragrant posies. Suddenly she was startled by the sound of a sobbing voice close at hand, and the next minute an angry male voice could be heard also.
“I tell you I’ll do nothing of the sort,” the man was saying; “why should I go and own up that I’m a thief or the next thing to it? At any rate they’d have me put in jail for all the attempts I’ve made to interfere with their aeroplane.”
“It’s Fanning Harding!” gasped Peggy, amazedly, “and Hester Gibbons,” she added the next instant as the girl’s voice sobbed out:
“Well, if you won’t, I will. I’ve been weak and foolish but I’m not wicked. I’m going to tell Peggy Prescott all about it to-day and ask her to forgive me.”