for?” asked Patty, in amazement.
“He wants to see father’s birds,” explained Mona. “You know, my father has a really wonderful collection of stuffed birds,—and he’ll be delighted to show them to Mr. Farrington, who says he is interested in them.”
“All right,” said Patty; “run along, you two. But don’t stay late, Roger; we keep early hours down here.”
“All right, Patty, I won’t;” and Roger walked away with Miss Galbraith, while Patty looked after them with a puzzled glance.
The four who wanted to walk to the beach had already started, leaving the two senior Fairfields and Patty and Mr. Van Reypen on the veranda.
“It’s perfectly heavenly to get away from the city, and down to this beautiful, quiet, peaceful spot,” said Philip Van Reypen, as he seated himself on the veranda railing, and leaned against a pillar.
“Is your life in the city so full of strife that you welcome peace?” asked Patty, smiling.
“Oh, the city itself is full of strife,” returned Van Reypen; “isn’t it, Mr. Fairfield?”
“Yes; compared to the seashore, it certainly is. This expanse of blue ocean is much more peaceful and calm than a scene in Wall Street, for instance.”
“Yes, that’s what I mean; and to get down here and just bask in the calmness and peace is a great delight to me. It was awfully good of you people to ask me.”
“We like to have you here,” said Nan, smiling at the young man’s frank and heartfelt gratitude.
“And I think it’s good of you to come,” said Patty; “for you must have lots of invitations to grander houses than this.”
“My child,” said Philip Van Reypen, looking at her, gravely, “it is not the grandeur of a house that attracts me; it’s the grandeur of the people. And I think you people are just grand! But, tell me, how do you like the motor car which you won by such strenuous exertion?”
“Which you helped me to win,” said Patty. “I never could have won it without your help. And to think you haven’t seen it! Come out to the garage now, and take a look at it. I’ve never seen it by moonlight myself; and I know it must look lovely.”
Catching up a light wrap, Patty flung it around her, and, with Mr. Van Reypen, walked around the house to the garage. The full moon was so very bright that, when the young man opened the big doors, Patty’s car showed as clearly and plainly as if it had been daylight.
“Isn’t she a beauty!” said Patty, in a voice almost awestruck, for the moonlight touched up the car with a sort of magic lustre never seen by day.
“She sure is!” declared young Van Reypen, with emphasis. “Wow! what perfection of detail, and what beautiful finish! Can you run it?”
“Can I run it? Well, rather! Why, I’ve run it hundreds of miles since I’ve had it!”
“Let’s get her out now, and just circle the drive once.”
“Oh, it’s too late now! I’ll take you out in it to-morrow.”
“Nonsense! it’s only about ten o’clock, and it’s as light as noonday. Come on, let’s do it.”
“All right, I don’t mind. But just around the drive; we won’t go out of the gate.”
“All right, then; hop in. Let me drive.”
“But I want to show off my driving.”
“Oh, wait until to-morrow for that, Miss Vanity. I know you drive beautifully, but I want to see how this thing works, myself. You know I guessed some few of those puzzles.”
“Yes, I know you did. All right, then, you drive.”
Philip assisted Patty in, and then took his own place and grasped the steering-bar and the controller.
“My, but she is a daisy! All the modern kinks in the way of mechanism!”
They circled the driveway twice, and, when passing the veranda, Patty turned to wave her hand to her father and Nan, she discovered they were not there. “Why, they must have gone in!” she said, in surprise.
“Perhaps they went down to the beach,” suggested Van Reypen. “Let’s go and see.”
They were near the gateway then, and, before Patty knew it, Philip had swung the car through, and they were spinning along the shore road.
The top of the car was down, and they had an unobstructed view of sea and shore. The night was still, save for the pounding of the surf, and the crested billows frothed and dashed on the white sand. The moon touched everything with its magic, and the sea, the beach, and the inland were alike shining with a silver glory. The smooth, hard road stretched ahead of them like a white ribbon, and it was small wonder that Philip Van Reypen did not stifle the impulse to send the car spinning ahead.
“Oh!” breathed Patty, entranced by the wonderful beauty of the night, and the exhilaration of that swift, soundless, gliding motion through it.
“Isn’t it great!” whispered Philip. “Did you ever know anything like it?”
“No, I never did! It’s like being in some enchanted place! I’ve never before been out at night.”
“And there never was such a night as this! Are you afraid?”
“Oh, no, not a bit! I know my car too well, and I know you are not driving recklessly, though we are going pretty fast.”
Philip slowed down his speed a little, and they went steadily on.
“We oughtn’t to be doing this,” said Patty, laughing like a gleeful child.
“Why not?” asked her companion, in an aggrieved tone.
“Oh, lots of reasons! For one thing, I’m a hostess.”
“Yes, but you haven’t any guests. They’ve all scooted off by themselves in different directions; even your father and mother deserted the veranda, so I’m the only guest you have for the moment, and, I assure you, I’m being very pleasantly entertained.”
“So am I,” said Patty, demurely. “But somehow I have an uneasy feeling that I’ll catch a scolding for this! I’m not accustomed to going out with a young man late at night.”
“Oh, well, I’m not very young, and it isn’t very late, so don’t bother about that. And anyway, if you’re going to catch a scolding, you may as well have the fun first. And it is fun, isn’t it?”
“Oh, it’s gorgeous fun! I never enjoyed anything more! But we mustn’t go any further. We’re about three miles beyond Spring Beach now.”
Sure enough, they had gone beyond all signs of habitation, and were on a long, straight stretch of road, with the ocean on one side and pine woods on the other. It was weirdly beautiful,—the dark shadows
