The children walked quickly out on the footbridge. The narrow planking bent under their weight and dipped low into the water. “It’s going to break!” Vevi exclaimed fearfully. “Oh, a footbridge always wobbles,” Connie reassured her. “Here, hold my hand while I grab the old shoe.” Vevi steadied her so she could bend down and rescue the shoe. “Now back to the boat!” Hanny urged. “We are going to get a scolding, I can tell you.” Mrs. Mattox did not pay very much attention to the three girls as they hurried up the canal. In fact, she seemed deeply engrossed examining something in the bottom of the boat. “What is she doing?” Vevi asked curiously. “Maybe she is trying to stop the leak in our boat,” Connie speculated. Hanny however, had sharper eyes. “She is looking at our tulips,” she told her companions. “Just see her poking about among the blossoms.” “Why would she do that?” Vevi whispered. By this time the children had drawn quite close to the boat. “She’s trying to see what varieties Uncle Peter is raising this year,” Hanny declared. “I think she is hoping to find out if we have a tulip that will win the blue ribbon.” Mrs. Mattox had heard the children come up. She straightened, dropping a red tulip. For a minute the girls thought she intended to scold them for coming onto her property. Instead, she merely stared at them. “Our boat is leaking,” Hanny said politely. “That is why we walked on your land.” “It isn’t the first time you have done it,” the woman answered. She kept eyeing the tulips in the boat. “Hanny gave us some flowers,” Connie said to make conversation. She always tried to be friendly with everyone. “Aren’t they beautiful?” “Humph! Very ordinary tulips I would say,” replied Mrs. Mattox. “Which one is your uncle entering in the flower show, Hanny?” “I cannot say, Mrs. Mattox.” “None of these, I’d judge.” Hanny remained silent. Her unwillingness to talk angered the woman. “How many times have I told you not to come onto my property?” she berated the children. “You tramp the flowers and damage our plantings.” Hanny knew the accusations were unfair. It was true, though, that she had been told repeatedly not to trespass. “We are leaving now,” she said. “Take this leaky old tub with you,” Mrs. Mattox ordered crossly. “You will have to tow it back by the rope because it is becoming waterlogged. Now, begone!” Hanny seized the rope and started to pull the boat alongshore. Mrs. Mattox followed close behind to see that she did not do any damage. “I am sorry about the boat,” Hanny apologized again. “My uncle plans soon to build a new one.” “Such foolishness!” the nurseryman’s wife exclaimed. “First it was a windmill! What will it be next? Always foolishness.” “I like the windmill,” Vevi said, speaking in Peter’s defense. “His farm is very pretty. It is nicer than this one.” Now the little girl should not have made the remark. She was sorry the moment she had said the words. Mrs. Mattox lost her temper at once.