“You sent for Jerry to help you?” Penny inquired curiously.
Mr. Parker shook his head. “No, I knew he was coming, but I didn’t send for him. If I had, I’m afraid the Army wouldn’t have been obliging enough to have filled my order.”
Penny helped Louise put away the camp dishes and pick up loose papers. It was only eight-thirty but already most of the work had been done. With Louise to help, camping no longer was a burden. Even Mr. Parker seemed to have moments of enjoying the outdoor life.
“Anyone riding to Sunset Beach with me?” he inquired cheerfully. “I have a date with Jerry this morning.”
Penny and Louise both wanted to go. They washed at the brook, changed into becoming “town” dresses, and soon were ready.
At the Crystal Inn, Jerry was not to be found. A clerk explained that the young man had left the hotel a half hour earlier but was expected to return soon.
“He probably went somewhere for breakfast or a walk,” Mr. Parker remarked, sinking into a comfortable chair. “I’ll wait for him.”
Penny and Louise loitered in the lobby. Presently Mrs. Deline came from the dining room and Mr. Parker politely arose to greet her. The widow took a chair beside him and they began to chat in an animated way.
“Let’s get away from here!” Penny muttered to Louise. “I don’t like the scenery.”
The girls went outside into the warm sunshine. Because the Parker automobile was at the curb they climbed into it and sat watching the sea.