"Well, I think you two men are horrid! You just sit there and let Patty and me catch our death of cold. Though Patty is wrapped up snug and warm in that robe. If SHE"S protected you don"t care about ME!"
"Daisy! what nonsense---" began Bill, but Patty"s head popped out again.
"If you think I"m snug and warm, Daisy Dow, you"re greatly mistaken! I NEVER was so uncomfortable in all my life! And I"m scared besides!
That"s more than you are!"
Jack Pennington laughed. "While the girls are comparing notes of discomfort," he said, "how about us, Bill? Do you feel,-er--well-groomed and all that?"
Farnsworth looked critically at his soaked apparel. "I"ve been DRIER,"
he replied, "but you know, Pennington, I"m one of those chaps who look well in any costume!"
The absurdity of this speech brought Patty"s head out again, and she felt a shock of surprise to note that the jesting words were true. Bill Farnsworth, coatless, dripping wet, and exceedingly uncomfortable, sat upright, tossing back his cl.u.s.tered wet hair, and positively laughing at the situation.
"Pardon my hilarity," he said, as he caught a glimpse of Patty"s face, "but you"re all so lugubrious, somebody MUST laugh."
"All right, I"ll laugh with you!" and Patty sat upright, the dark laprobe held hoodwise, so that she looked like a mischievous nun. "If you"ll please turn off the thunder and lightning, I won"t mind the rain a bit. In fact, I"m getting used to it. I know I was meant for a duck, anyway."
"Well, Duck, the thunder and lightning are getting farther away," said Bill, truly, "but I do believe it rains harder than ever! What CAN we do?"
"Can"t we get under the car?" suggested Daisy.
"Not very well; and it wouldn"t help much. It"s rather wet, even under there," and Bill looked at the soaked road.
"We pa.s.sed a house about a mile back," said Patty, "couldn"t we walk back to that?"
"I thought of that," said Bill, "but I didn"t suppose you girls could walk it,--with those foolish step-ladder heels you"re wearing. And white satin slippers aren"t real good style for mud-wading. I could carry you, Miss Fairfield,--you"re only a will-o"-the-wisp; but Daisy here is a heavyweight."
"Oh, no matter about me," said Daisy, spitefully; "just see that Miss Fairfield is looked after!"
Big Bill Farnsworth looked at the speaker. "Daisy Dow," he said, quietly, "don"t you get me any more riled than I am! If you do, I won"t be pleasant!"
"But I can walk," put in Patty, anxious to prevent a quarrel. "I haven"t on walking boots exactly, but I can flounder along somehow. And we MUST get to shelter! Help me along, Jack, and I"ll try not to mind the thunder and lightning."
"Plucky little girl!" said Farnsworth, and Daisy scowled in the darkness.
"What time is it?" asked Patty, who was now thoroughly ready to face the situation.
"Just twelve o"clock," replied Jack, after several futile attempts to light a match and see his watch.
"Then we MUST try to get to that house," declared Patty. "I had no idea it was so late. Come, people, no matter what the result, we must TRY to reach shelter and civilisation."
"Right!" said Pennington. "It"s the only thing to do. I remember the house. There was no light in it, though."
"No; it"s so late. But we can ring up the family, and they"ll surely take us in for the night."
"Not if they see us first!" exclaimed Bill. "Oh, Miss Fairfield, you look like Ophelia with those flowers tumbling all over your face!"
Patty laughed, and removing the apple-blossom wreath from her head, was about to throw it away. But she felt it gently taken from her hand in the darkness, and she somehow divined that Farnsworth had put it in his pocket.
The combination of this sentimental act with the drenched condition of the flower wreath--and, presumably, the pocket, was too much for Patty, and she giggled outright.
"What ARE you laughing at?" snapped Daisy. "_I_ don"t see anything funny in this whole performance."
"Oh, DO think it"s funny, Daisy," implored Patty, still laughing. "Oh, DO! for it ISN"T funny at all, unless we MAKE it so by thinking it IS so!"
"Stop talking nonsense," Daisy flung back. "Oh, I"ve sprained my ankle.
I can"t walk at all! Oh, oh!"
Farnsworth looked at her. "Daisy," he said, sternly, "if you"ve really sprained your ankle, we"ll have to get back into the car--for I can"t carry you. But if you CAN walk, I advise you to do so."
Daisy looked a little frightened at his severe tone.
"Oh, I suppose I CAN walk," she said, "though it hurts me dreadfully.
Hold me up, Bill."
"I"ll hold you," he replied, cheerily. "Now we"ll take this lantern, and we"ll walk ahead. Pennington, you follow with Miss Fairfield. Don"t talk much, you"ll need all your strength to walk through the storm.
It"s abating a little, but it"s raining cats and dogs yet."
Unconsciously, Bill had a.s.sumed command of the expedition, and involuntarily, the others obeyed him. That mile was a dreadful walk! At first, it seemed fairly easy, for the road was a good one, though wet and slippery. But soon the satin slippers were soaked; stones and bits of gravel made their way inside, and at last Patty found it almost impossible to keep hers on at all. Jack tried to help, by tying the little slippers on with his own and Patty"s handkerchiefs, but these soon gave way. The rain fell steadily now; not in dashes and sheets, but a moderate downpour that seemed as if it meant to go on forever.
Jack could do little to help, save to grasp Patty"s arm tightly and "boost" her along. Daisy stood it better, for she was of far stronger build than fragile Patty, and Big Bill almost carried her along with his own long, st.u.r.dy strides.
After what seemed an interminable walk, they reached the house in question. It was a large, fine-looking structure, but as no lights were visible, the family had evidently retired.
"I should think they"d leave a night light in the hall," grumbled Daisy, as the quartette climbed the veranda steps and stood, dripping, at the front door.
"Whew!" exclaimed Jack. "It"s good to get where that rain doesn"t drive straight into your eyes, anyway! Ring the bell, Farnsworth."
"Can"t find it. Ah, here it is!" and Bill pushed the electric b.u.t.ton, and held it, ringing a continuous peal.
But no one came to the door, and the shivering four grew impatient, to think that shelter was so near, yet unavailable.
"You keep punching this bell, Pennington," suggested Bill, "and I"ll reconnoitre round to the other entrances. There must be side doors and things."
Jack kept the bell going, but no one responded, and no lights showed in the house. At last Bill returned from his tour of exploration.
"I"ve been all the way round," he said; "there are three or four entrances to this mansion, and all have bells, but n.o.body answered my various and insistent ringings. WHAT shall us do now, poor things?"
"I suppose they"re afraid we"re burglars," observed Patty; "and they"re afraid to let us in."
"If they don"t come pretty soon, I WILL be a burglar," declared Bill, "and I"ll get in in burglar fashion. It isn"t fair for people to have a warm, dry house, and keep forlorn wet people out of it. We"ve GOT to get in! Let"s bang on the doors."
But no amount of banging and pounding, no shaking of door k.n.o.bs, no whistling or shouting served to bring response.
"Throw pebbles at the window," Patty suggested, and immediately a young hailstorm bombarded the second-story panes.
"No good!" commented Bill. "So here goes!" and without further warning his large and well-aimed foot crashed through a long front window which reached down to the floor.