end on an
errand. She found no one about but Bertha Warner, who was hastily putting
some finishing touches to her own gypsy dress.

"That's almost finished, isn't it, Bertha?" began Patty breathlessly.

"Yes; why? Can I help you in any way?"

"Indeed you can, if you will. I have to go over to Black Island for some
goldenrod. It doesn't grow anywhere else as early, at least I can't find
any. I've hunted all over for somebody to send, but the boys are all so
busy, and so I'm just going myself. I wish you'd come along and help me
row. It's ever so much quicker to go across in a boat and get it there,
than to drive out into the country for it."

"Of course I will," said Bertha, "but will there be time?"

"Yes, if we scoot right along."

The girls flew down to the dock, jumped into a small rowboat and began to
row briskly over to Black Island. It was not very far, and they soon
reached it. They scrambled out, pulled the boat well up onto the beach,
and went after the flowers.

Sure enough, as Patty had said, there was a luxuriant growth of goldenrod
in many parts of the island. Patty had brought a pair of garden shears,
and by setting to work vigorously, they soon had as much as they could
carry.

"There," said Patty, triumphantly, as she tied up two great sheaves, "I
believe we gathered that quicker than if we had brought some boys along
to help. Now let's skip for home."

The island was not very large, but in their search for the flowers they
had wandered farther than they thought.

"It's nearly one o'clock," said Patty, looking at her watch, and carrying
their heavy cargo of golden flowers, they hastened back to where they had
left their boat.

But no boat was there.

"Oh, Bertha," cried Patty, "the boat has drifted away!"

"Oh, pshaw," said Bertha, "I don't believe it. We pulled it ever so far
up on the sand."

"Well, then, where is it?"

"Why, I believe Winthrop or Kenneth or somebody came over and pulled it
away, just to tease us. I believe they're around the corner waiting for
us now."

Patty tried to take this view of it, but she felt a strange sinking of
her heart, for it wasn't like Kenneth to play a practical joke, and she
didn't think Winthrop would, either.

Laying down her bundle of flowers, Bertha ran around the end of the
island, fully expecting to see her brother's laughing face.

But there was no one to be seen, and no sign of the boat.

Then Bertha became alarmed, and the two girls