“Losing five practically new tires is a mere detail in comparison?”
“It’s nothing less than a tragedy! I was thinking—maybe you ought to break the sad news to Dad.”
“Indeed not. You’ll have to tell him yourself. However, he’s attending a meeting and won’t be home until eleven.”
“That’s much too late for me,” Penny said quickly. “I’ll see him in the morning. And I do hope you cooperate by giving him a dandy breakfast.”
“Just see to it that you don’t oversleep,” suggested the housekeeper dryly.
Penny consumed an enormous supper and then slipped off to bed. She did not hear her father come home a few hours later. In the morning when Mrs. Weems called her, it seemed advisable to take a long time in dressing. Her father had gone by the time she strolled downstairs.
“Did you tell Dad?” she asked the housekeeper hopefully.
“You knew I would,” chided Mrs. Weems. “Your father expects to see you at his office at nine o’clock.”
“How’d he take the blow?”
“Naturally one couldn’t expect him to be pleased.”