“Maybe your uncle will get home and take care of it,” Vevi said hopefully. “He has gone away for the afternoon. Oh, Vevi, I will have to get out there as fast as I can. This wind is not going to let up for a long while.” “I will go with you,” Vevi offered. She did not really want to go. It was a long walk to the farm and the sharp wind would make the trip uncomfortable. Nevertheless, she started off with Hanny down the street. The girls had to duck their heads and bend low. Even then it was hard to keep on their feet. “This is a regular hurricane!” Vevi gasped. “Maybe everything is going to blow away!” Hanny however, was not frightened. She glanced at the sky, studying the boiling clouds for a minute. “It is only a hard wind,” she said. “But it can do much damage at our nursery. Oh, why did I forget the windmill?” Reaching the outskirts of the city, the two girls struck out along the main highway. Soon they saw a car overtaking them. “Here comes someone,” Vevi said, looking over her shoulder. “Maybe we can catch a ride to the farm.” The children moved off the roadway and waited. When the car was fairly close they could see a woman at the wheel. There were no passengers. “It looks like Mrs. Gabriel’s car,” said Hanny. “My uncle would not want me to ride with her.” “Even to save the tulips?” “I guess that would be different,” Hanny agreed. Both girls waved their arms, trying to attract Mrs. Gabriel’s attention. They knew she saw them, for she slowed down. “She is going to pick us up!” Vevi cried in relief. But Mrs. Gabriel did not stop. She drove past the children, without paying any attention to their frantic gestures. “Why, that was mean!” exclaimed Vevi. “She’ll be going right past the farm too!” The girls bored on into the wind, but walking was most difficult. Vevi could not keep on her beanie. She carried it in her hand, but her hair kept whipping across her eyes. “We’ll never get there!” she gasped. “This hateful old wind!” A loud “toot-toot” sounded directly behind the girls. Startled, they jumped to the side of the road. Another car had come along, driven by a man who was riding with his wife. He pulled up beside the children. “Want a ride?” he asked. “Do we!” demanded Vevi gratefully. The man opened the car door, and the girls slid into the back seat. “Going far?” he inquired. “Only to Windmill Farm,” Hanny said. “Can you take us there?” “Sure thing,” the man agreed. “I’m going right past the farm.” The car rolled over a bridge. Vevi and Hanny saw that the river had been ruffled into high, foamy waves. Along each shore, the low-bent branches of willows were lashing back and forth. A few big drops of rain spattered against the car’s windshield. “We’ll have a downpour any minute now,” the driver said. “You children should have your raincoats.” The car passed the Mattox nursery. On the driveway, Vevi and Hanny saw Mrs. Gabriel’s parked automobile. “Look at the roof of the greenhouse!” Hanny cried, pointing.