Of course the boys wouldn’t have to walk all the way to Spring Beach.  Of course they would manage somehow to get a conveyance, but Bill had not bothered about such details; he had seen his way, and had walked straight out into it.  Surely he was a splendid man,—­a big, fine man,—­and—­he had taken her apple-blossom wreath,—­and he had put it in his pocket,—­because—­ because—­

And even as she thought of Bill’s confiscation of her flowers, Patty’s golden head drooped a little, the long lashes fell over her blue eyes, and in the sheltering depths of the soft-cushioned chair, she fell sound asleep.

A few hours later she awoke.  At first she couldn’t realise where she was, then, like a flash, the truth came to her.  Greatly refreshed by her nap, she jumped up, smiling.

The fire was out, so she rekindled it, and proceeded to don her dried but sadly wilted looking party dress.  She hesitated a moment, and then concluded to wake Daisy, as a rescuing party might arrive at any minute.

Daisy sat up on her couch, and rubbed her eyes.  “What time is it?” she asked, not yet fully awake.

“I’ve no idea,” said Patty, laughing.  “I never wear my watch in the evening.  But,” and she looked from the window as she raised the blind, “I see streaks of pink, so that must be the east, and the sun is about ready to rise.  So up, up, Lucy, the sun is in the sky, or will be soon.  And I’m sure our deliverers will soon come to rescue us from this durance vile!”

Patty was in high spirits now, and danced about the room while she urged Daisy to get into her frock.

“Bookcase curtains are all very well for boudoir jackets,” she said, “but not fit for appearance in polite society.  See, your frock looks fairly well; a lot better than mine.”

Sure enough the soft silk of Daisy’s gown had stood its wetting much better than Patty’s chiffon, but they were both sad wrecks of the dainty costumes they had been the evening before.

Patty flung open the windows, and let in the cool morning air, and as she stepped out on the veranda she cried, “Oh, Daisy, here they come!”

A big touring car was visible at a distance, and in a moment Patty saw that Farnsworth himself was driving it.

“Hooray!” he called, as he came nearer, and Mona, who sat beside him, cried out, “Oh, Patty, Patty!  Are you safe?”

“Safe?  Of course I’m safe,” said Patty, who despite her draggled dress, looked like the incarnation of morning as she stood on the veranda, her sweet face glad and smiling beneath its cloud of golden curls.

“Thank Heaven!” cried Big Bill, as he fairly flung himself out of his driver’s seat and rushed up to her.  He almost took her in his arms, but just checked his mad impulse in time, and grasping both her hands, shook them vigorously up and down as he whispered, “Oh, my little girl!  You never can know what it cost me to go off and leave you here alone!” His frank, honest blue eyes looked straight into her deep violet ones, and his glance told eloquently of his remorse and regret for the mischief he had thoughtlessly brought about.