Patricia drew a deep breath.

"Look, look!" cried Judith, her eyes alight and her whole slender
little figure relaxed. "Two trees are down!"

Across the road a huge sycamore blocked the way and on the pike a giant
willow had crashed down.

"Oh, Bruce, the sycamore you painted is gone!" called Patricia, not
turning. "Come and see!"

Elinor came, with the painter following, and as soon as they saw the
work of the storm, Bruce awoke to immediate action.

"You girls tell Henry to come down with the axe and grubbing-hoe," he
commanded briskly. "I'm off." And flinging his coat to Elinor, he
seized a hatchet that was lying in the stairway and started for the
wreckage, while Patricia and Judith flew to fulfill his orders.

The sun shone and the birds sang while the work went on, and far down
the pike they could see other prone trees with busy choppers clearing
limbs and entangling foliage from the highway. A band of men begirt
with axes, cords and other implements passed on their way to the school
house where a big maple blocked the pike.

Patricia was tremendously interested and it was with the greatest
regret that she heard the whistle of the up-train, while the tangle of
the sycamore was still undisturbed in the roadway.

"Oh, do let's stay till it's all done," she urged, but Bruce and Elinor
were adamant.

"What does it matter if we do miss the train?" she insisted. "We can
take the early one in the morning. We'll be home almost as soon."

"I've got to pack tonight, young lady," Bruce reminded her. "I'm not
so fortunate as to be coming to Greycroft, you'll remember. It takes
longer to get to Chicago than to Rockham."

"Oh, that's so," acquiesced Patricia. "I suppose you do have to be
there for that private view of the panels."

"And a fresh suit is advisable, too," added Bruce. "I don't want my
duds to come a week later, as they did in Milwaukee. I'll make sure
this time."

"All right," said Patricia, amiably. "We've had a glorious day anyway,
and we'll soon be back here for keeps. I guess I'm not pig enough to
grumble. Come on, Judy, we've got to go see Hannah Ann's new hat
before we go. I wish she'd left us get it for her. I'm sure it's a
fright."

Judith followed sedately with her head in the air.

"I'm going to ask Elinor if Hannah Ann and Henry can't come in town
Saturday for the 'housebreaking,'" she said to Patricia as they climbed
the stairs. "I think it would be very nice for t