THE HONORABLE PERCIVAL

Their boat had sailed

THE HONORABLE PERCIVAL

BY ALICE HEGAN RICE

AUTHOR OF "MRS. WIGGS OF THE CABBAGE PATCH,"
"A ROMANCE OF BILLY-GOAT HILL," ETC.

NEW YORK
THE CENTURY CO.
1914

Copyright, 1914, by THE CENTURY CO.
Copyright, 1914, by MCCLURE'S MAGAZINE

Published, October, 1914

CONTENTS

I A BLIGHTED BEING

II A COUNTER-IRRITANT

III CONVALESCENCE

IV COUNTER-CURRENTS

V STRANDED

VI IN THE WIND-SHELTER

VII THE DAY THAT NEVER WAS

VIII IN THE CROW'S-NEST

IX DRAGGING ANCHOR

X ON THE SEARCH

XI THE GYMKHANA

XII THE SONG OF THE SIREN

XIII PERCIVAL PROCRASTINATES

XIV NEPTUNE TAKES A HAND

XV PERCIVAL RISES TO AN OCCASION

XVI IN PORT

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Their boat had sailed

"Well, did you ever! Where did you come from?"

Her hair, still damp, was hanging about her shoulders, and she carried a bundle of bath-towels under her arm

"Mr. Hascombe!" she demanded breathlessly, "you'll take me out in the surf-boat, won't you?"

At a break-neck speed towards the wharf

"I don't know what makes me so everlastingly silly!" she said fiercely trying to swallow the rising sobs, "but he won't understand!"

"I like the way your mouth looks when you read it"

"Roberta!" he called sternly. "What are you doing out here?"

"You will have to join the crowd," suggested Bobby when Percival complained of not seeing her as often as he wished

"If you want to hold my hand, Mr. Hascombe, you are welcome to it"

He sat on a table swinging his feet in unison with a lot of other young feet, while he sipped lemonade from the same glass as Bobby Boynton

"Isn't that the prettiest thing you ever saw?" she asked, glancing at him over her shoulder

"It's quite worth while," he said, "getting a jab in the wrist, to have you looking after me like this"

"I'm so sorry!" whispered Bobby, putting her arm impulsively around his heaving