They had finished breakfast and were leaving the table when Mrs. Blair spoke.
“I’ve decided not to go down to Sandy Point with you,” she said. “The crowd will be so large I’m afraid I wouldn’t enjoy it very much.”
“But we’ve planned on your going, Mother,” said Helen.
“I’m sorry to disappoint you,” smiled her mother, “but Margaret’s mother and I will spend the day on the hill here. We’ll be able to see the aerial circus perform and really we’ll enjoy a quiet day here at home more than being in the crowd.”
“It won’t be very quiet if those kids keep on shooting giant crackers,” said Tom.
“They’ll be going to the celebration in another hour or two and then things will quiet down,” said Mrs. Blair.
“How about a plane ride if the circus has time to take us?” asked Tom.
Helen saw her mother tremble at Tom’s question, but she replied quickly.
“That’s up to you, Tom. You know more about planes than I do and if you’re convinced the flying circus is safe, I have no objection.” But Helen made a mental reservation that the planes would have to look mighty safe before any of them went aloft.
They hurried down the hill to the pier which Jim Preston used. The boatman and his helpers had just finished polishing the three speed boats Preston owned, the Argosy, the Liberty and the Flyer, which had been raised from the bottom of the lake and partially rebuilt.