thinking. Penny and Daddy were busy with the sailboat. At last Peter came over to Daddy and said, "I'm not going in the
Threeofus
when you race her this afternoon."
"You're not?" said Daddy.
"No," said Peter. "The
Threeofus
stands a better chance to win the race if there are only two in her. And I want her to win."
Daddy threw his arm around Peter. "Peter," he said, "that's wonderful of you! Now, I'm sure she'll win."
The race was to start at three o'clock at the Yacht Club. The club was about two miles from the
Threeofus's
dock.
After lunch Daddy said, "I'm going to drive up to Cooper's Point for some lobsters. I'll be back in plenty of time to take the boat up to the club."
Daddy went off and the boys went swimming. After their swim they played on the dock. Three o'clock drew nearer and nearer.
"Daddy ought to be here soon," said Penny.
"Yes," said Peter. "Let's go see what time it is."
The boys were climbing the steps to the house when Penny's mother appeared on the porch.
"Peter!" she called. "Penny! Come quickly!"
The boys ran up the rest of the steps. "Where's Daddy, Mother?" Penny called.
"Daddy has a flat tire," said Mother. "He's stuck between here and Cooper's Point. He just telephoned to tell me."
"Oh, Mother! Are we going to miss the race?" cried Penny.
"Not if you and Peter can sail the boat down to the Yacht Club. Daddy will meet you there."
"All by ourselves!" exclaimed Penny.
"There is nothing else to do," said Mother. "Do you think you can do it?"
"Sure!" said Peter. "We can do it. We have to do it. The
Threeofus
is going to win the race."
The two boys started back to the dock. Penny's mother went with them. She helped them to put up the sail. When they were ready, she untied the rope that held the boat fast. As they set forth, she thought they both looked very little.
Peter's face was very serious as the wind filled the sail and the boat glided away from the dock.
He was taking the
Threeofus
to win the race. It was the most important thing he had ever done.
Meanwhile Penny's daddy had reached the Yacht Club. He stood on the dock, straining his eyes for the sight of the
Threeofus.
More and more sailboats arrived. They were like a great flock of birds, resting on the water around the Yacht Club.
Daddy looked at his watch. Quarter of three and the
Threeofus
was nowhere to be seen. It looked as though she had lost the race before she started. Then, away off, Daddy saw a sailboat. It was the
Threeofus.
Slowly, as the minutes passed, she grew larger. At two minutes of three Penny threw the rope to Daddy. Daddy pulled the boat to the dock and jumped in. At the same time Peter jumped out. "You'll win. I know you'll win," was all he had time to say.
"Thanks, Peter! You're a trump!" Daddy called, as he sailed up to his place on the line.
Peter never took his eyes off the
Threeofus.
She seemed to skim over the water. Soon she was leading the race.
Peter was jumping up and down, yelling with all his might, when Penny and Daddy crossed the line ahead of all the others. "You've won! You've won! You've won!" he cried, as Penny and Daddy stepped out of the boat.
"Yes," said Daddy, "but we could not have won without you, Peter. So you step up and receive the prize for the
Threeofus.
"
Peter walked over to the president of the Yacht Club. The president handed Peter a beautiful silver sailboat. "The first prize," he said, "goes to the
Threeofus.
"
Peter said, "Thank you, sir," while everyone clapped.
The next morning when Penny and Peter finished their breakfast, they went out to look at the
Threeofus.
Daddy and Mother were standing by the boat. Daddy had a can of paint in one hand and a brush in the other. On the side of the boat, in fresh paint, was a new name. It was the
Fourofus.
"What does that mean?" asked Penny.
Mother put her arm around Peter. "It means that we now have two little boys. We are going to adopt Peter."
"And the sailboat belongs to the four of us," cried Penny. "And Peter
Threeofus
when you race her this afternoon."
"You're not?" said Daddy.
"No," said Peter. "The
Threeofus
stands a better chance to win the race if there are only two in her. And I want her to win."
Daddy threw his arm around Peter. "Peter," he said, "that's wonderful of you! Now, I'm sure she'll win."
The race was to start at three o'clock at the Yacht Club. The club was about two miles from the
Threeofus's
dock.
After lunch Daddy said, "I'm going to drive up to Cooper's Point for some lobsters. I'll be back in plenty of time to take the boat up to the club."
Daddy went off and the boys went swimming. After their swim they played on the dock. Three o'clock drew nearer and nearer.
"Daddy ought to be here soon," said Penny.
"Yes," said Peter. "Let's go see what time it is."
The boys were climbing the steps to the house when Penny's mother appeared on the porch.
"Peter!" she called. "Penny! Come quickly!"
The boys ran up the rest of the steps. "Where's Daddy, Mother?" Penny called.
"Daddy has a flat tire," said Mother. "He's stuck between here and Cooper's Point. He just telephoned to tell me."
"Oh, Mother! Are we going to miss the race?" cried Penny.
"Not if you and Peter can sail the boat down to the Yacht Club. Daddy will meet you there."
"All by ourselves!" exclaimed Penny.
"There is nothing else to do," said Mother. "Do you think you can do it?"
"Sure!" said Peter. "We can do it. We have to do it. The
Threeofus
is going to win the race."
The two boys started back to the dock. Penny's mother went with them. She helped them to put up the sail. When they were ready, she untied the rope that held the boat fast. As they set forth, she thought they both looked very little.
Peter's face was very serious as the wind filled the sail and the boat glided away from the dock.
He was taking the
Threeofus
to win the race. It was the most important thing he had ever done.
Meanwhile Penny's daddy had reached the Yacht Club. He stood on the dock, straining his eyes for the sight of the
Threeofus.
More and more sailboats arrived. They were like a great flock of birds, resting on the water around the Yacht Club.
Daddy looked at his watch. Quarter of three and the
Threeofus
was nowhere to be seen. It looked as though she had lost the race before she started. Then, away off, Daddy saw a sailboat. It was the
Threeofus.
Slowly, as the minutes passed, she grew larger. At two minutes of three Penny threw the rope to Daddy. Daddy pulled the boat to the dock and jumped in. At the same time Peter jumped out. "You'll win. I know you'll win," was all he had time to say.
"Thanks, Peter! You're a trump!" Daddy called, as he sailed up to his place on the line.
Peter never took his eyes off the
Threeofus.
She seemed to skim over the water. Soon she was leading the race.
Peter was jumping up and down, yelling with all his might, when Penny and Daddy crossed the line ahead of all the others. "You've won! You've won! You've won!" he cried, as Penny and Daddy stepped out of the boat.
"Yes," said Daddy, "but we could not have won without you, Peter. So you step up and receive the prize for the
Threeofus.
"
Peter walked over to the president of the Yacht Club. The president handed Peter a beautiful silver sailboat. "The first prize," he said, "goes to the
Threeofus.
"
Peter said, "Thank you, sir," while everyone clapped.
The next morning when Penny and Peter finished their breakfast, they went out to look at the
Threeofus.
Daddy and Mother were standing by the boat. Daddy had a can of paint in one hand and a brush in the other. On the side of the boat, in fresh paint, was a new name. It was the
Fourofus.
"What does that mean?" asked Penny.
Mother put her arm around Peter. "It means that we now have two little boys. We are going to adopt Peter."
"And the sailboat belongs to the four of us," cried Penny. "And Peter
Similar Books
