lowed the
shore of the Sound. This delighted Patty, as she was still able to gaze
out over the blue water, and at the same time enjoy the wonderful motion
of the car.

But soon their course changed and they turned inland, on the road to
Hartford. Patty was surprised at Roger's knowledge of the way, but the
young man was well provided with road maps and guidebooks, of which he
had made careful study.

"How beautifully the car goes," said Patty. "It doesn't make the least
fuss, even on the upgrades."

"You must learn the vocabulary, Patty," said Roger. "When a machine goes
smoothly as The Fact is doing now, the proper expression is that it runs
sweetly."

"Sweetly!" exclaimed Patty. "How silly. It sounds like a gushing girl."

"That doesn't matter," said Roger, serenely. "If you go on motor trips,
you must learn to talk motor-jargon."

"All right," said Patty, "I'm willing to learn, and I do think the way
this car goes it is just too sweet for anything!"

They all laughed at this, but their gaiety was short-lived, for just then
there was a peculiar crunching sound that seemed to mean disaster,
judging from the expressions of dismay on the faces of the Farrington
family.

"What is it?" asked Patty, forgetting that she had been told never to ask
questions on such occasions.

"Patty," said Roger, making a comical face at her, "my countenance now
presents an expression typical of disgust, irritation, and impatience. I
now wave my right hand thus, which is a Delsarte gesture expressing
exasperation with a trace of anger. I next give voice to my sentiments,
merely to remark in my usual calm and disinterested way, that a belt has
broken and the mending thereof will consume a portion of time, the length
of which may be estimated only after it has elapsed."

Patty laughed heartily at this harangue, but gathered from Roger's
nonsense the interesting fact that an accident had occurred, and that a
delay was inevitable. Nobody seemed especially surprised. Indeed, they
took it quite as a matter of course, and Mrs. Farrington opened a new
magazine which she had brought with her, and calmly settled herself to
read.

But Elise said, "Well, I'm already starving with hunger, and I think we
may as well open that kit of provisions, and have our picnic right here,
while Roger is mending the belt."

"Elise," said her father jestingly, "you sometimes show signs of almost
human intelligence! Your plan is a positive inspiration, fo