days and stifling nights, "brewin' up
for somethin'," B'lindy declared.

Nancy, her play finished, suffered from a restlessness she had never
known before. She told herself that, now her work was done, she must
not linger at Happy House; then found that she could not bear to face
the thought of going! These ties that she had made bound her closely.
It was not as though she might come back as they would think she
could--the separation must be forever. And the day must come when
these good people she had grown to love would know that she had
deceived and cheated them!

"That is my punishment," she thought, in real distress.

On the morning of a day that differed only from the other cloudless
days in that the sky was bluer and the sun hotter, Jonathan brought
Nancy a letter from Mrs. Finnegan. Enclosed in it was a cable from her
father telling her that he had booked passage on the _Tourraine_,
leaving Le Havre within two days.

"Oh," Nancy cried aloud, "he is _coming home_!"

So intent was she upon her letter that she did not see the rapid
approach of a shiny Ford; but at a terrific whirring and grating of
wheels and levers she turned, startled.

"Love letter?" queried Peter Hyde, jumping from the driver's seat.

"_How_ you frightened me! And why this magnificence? No, it is _not_
a love-letter!" Nancy laughed joyously as she tucked it away in her
pocket. Oh, why _couldn't_ she tell Peter Hyde that it was word that
her dearest father was at that moment sailing home to her! (Nancy
could not know that the letter had lain in Tim Finnegan's pocket for
five whole days.)

"This----" and Peter Hyde caressed his new possession, "is the latest
tool at Judson's. You have no idea how many things it can do--'most
everything except milk the cows. To-day I thought, if Miss Nancy
Leavitt was willing, it might take us on a picnic--say, up to Isle La
Motte. I'm beastly tired of work!"

"Oh, lovely," declared Nancy. "I've felt these last few days as though
I wanted to rush off somewhere! Besides, I have something to tell you!"

Peter pretended alarm at her serious tone; then making her promise to
be ready within a half-hour, he drove off.

It would be very pleasant to have a last picnic with Peter Hyde. She
would give herself one day of frolic before she faced the problem of
getting away from Happy House. It was too hot for Aunt Milly to go out
to the orchard, she would leave word with B'lindy that if Nonie came