The wooden shoe turned slowly around in the sluggish water. Then toe forward, it began to drift lazily away. “Hey, get it quick!” cried Vevi in alarm. “Oh, it won’t sail far,” laughed Hanny. She was right too, because in just a minute the shoe snagged on a stick and was held fast. “Say, that’s fun, sailing boats!” cried Vevi. “Where is the other shoe?” “On your foot, stupe!” laughed Jane. The joke certainly was on Vevi, for in the excitement of watching the “boat” she had forgotten that its mate still was on her left foot. All the Brownies were eager to play “boat.” “Is it safe?” Miss Gordon anxiously asked the nurseryman. “Oh, they can’t any more than splash their clothing,” he replied. “The water barely is deep enough to float the boat.” Reassured, Miss Gordon told the children to have a good time, but to be very careful. She and Miss Mohr then went off with Peter to see some of the tulips. Connie watched the three walk away. She noticed that the nurseryman seemed especially friendly with Miss Mohr. “I think he likes her,” she whispered to Vevi. “See, he is picking her a bouquet of tulips.” “He likes Miss Gordon too,” Vevi replied carelessly. All her attention now had centered on the wooden shoe boats. “Not the same way though,” insisted Connie. “He smiles at her sort of special. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if they’d fall in love? Then Hanny could stay here always--” Vevi gave her friend a sharp jab in the ribs. “Hush!” she warned. “Do you want Hanny to hear? Anyway, you get crazy ideas, Connie Williams!” For the next twenty minutes the Brownies had a wonderful time at the water’s edge. They peeled off their stockings and sat on the bridge, splashing their toes. It was great fun sailing the wooden shoes in the lazy current. Now and then a “boat” would fill with water and sink. Then one of the girls would wade to its rescue. “My shoe is a torpedo boat!” Vevi shouted. “I’m coming after your boat, Jane.” She propelled the shoe, making it crack into the other. The Brownies played “war” for a few minutes before discovering that the wooden shoes made good sand scoops. Sand castles occupied them after that. Connie noticed that Miss Mohr, Miss Gordon and Peter had started back from the tulip fields. “It must be nearly time to leave,” she said anxiously. “Vevi McGuire, just look at your dress! What will Miss Gordon say?” “Yours is splashed too!” Vevi replied, trying to brush off the water drops from her skirt. “It has a spot of mud on the sleeve.” “We’d better quit this game before we get any dirtier,” Rosemary declared uneasily. “Let’s clean up the wooden shoes.” She gathered up one pair and began to wash out the sand. Vevi looked about for the other shoes. One lay at the water’s edge. The other was nowhere to be seen. “Connie, did you have Hanny’s shoe?” she inquired. Connie shook her head. “You had it last,” she reminded Vevi. “Remember? When you were playing torpedo.”