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〃We'll be married again； and do the gossips out of a sensation；〃 he said。 Though she was not looking at him； his eyes shifted from her face as he added in a voice which at another time she might have thought strained： 〃Then； too； your father and mother and mine are so strait…lacedit'd give 'em a terrible jar to find out。 You're a good deal like them； Pollyonly in a modern sort of way。〃
Pauline flushed scarlet and compressed her lips。 She said presently： 〃You're sure you wish it？〃
〃Wish what？〃
〃To marry me。 Sometimes I've thought we're both too young； that we might wait〃
He put his arm round her with an air of proud possession。 〃What'd be the sense in that？〃 he demanded gaily。 〃Aren't you MINE？〃
And again she flushed and lowered her eyes and compressed her lips。 Then she astonished him by flinging her arms round his neck and kissing him hysterically。 〃But I DO love you！〃 she exclaimed。 〃I do！ I DO！〃
IX。
A THOROUGHBRED RUNS AWAY。
It was midday six weeks later； and Pauline and Dumont were landing at Liverpool； when Scarborough read in the college…news column of the Battle Field Banner that she had 〃married the only son of Henry Dumont； of Saint Christopher； one of the richest men in our state； and has departed for an extended foreign tour。〃 Oliviaand Pierson naturallyhad known； but neither had had the courage to tell him。
Scarborough was in Pierson's room。 He lowered the paper from in front of his face after a few minutes。
〃I see Pauline has married and gone abroad；〃 he said。
〃Yes； so I heard from Olivia；〃 replied Pierson； avoiding Scarborough's eyes。
〃Why didn't you tell me？〃 continued Scarborough； tranquil so far as Pierson could judge。 〃I'd have liked to send her a note。〃
Pierson was silent。
〃I thought it would cut him horribly；〃 he was thinking。 〃And he's taking it as if he had only a friendly interest。〃 Scarborough's face was again behind the newspaper。 When he had finished it he sauntered toward the door。 He paused there to glance idly at the titles of the top row in the book…case。 Pierson was watching him。 〃Noit's all right；〃 he concluded。 Scarborough was too straight and calm just to have received such a blow as that news would have been had HE cared for Pauline。 Pierson liked his look better than ever beforethe tall； powerful figure； the fair hair growing above his wide and lofty brow； with the one defiant lock； and in his aquiline nose and blue…gray eyes and almost perfect mouth and chin the stamp of one who would move forward irresistibly； moving others to his will。
〃How old are you； Scarborough？〃 he asked。
〃Twenty…three…nearly twenty…four。 I ought to be ashamed to be only a freshman； oughtn't I？〃 He shrugged his shoulders。 〃I'm tired of it all。〃 And he strolled out。
He avoided Pierson and Olivia and all his friends for several days； went much into the woods alone； took long walks at night。 Olivia would have it that he had been hard hit； and almost convinced Pierson。
〃He's the sort of person that suffers the most；〃 she said。 〃I've a brother like himwon't have sympathy； keeps a wound covered up so that it can't heal。〃
〃But what shall I do for him？〃 asked Pierson。
〃Don't do anythinghe'd hate you if you did。〃
After a week or ten days he called on Pierson and； seating himself at the table； began to shuffle a pack of cards。 He looked tired。
〃I never saw cards until I was fifteen；〃 he said。
〃At home they thought them one of the devil's worst deviceswe had a real devil in our house。〃
〃So did we；〃 said Pierson。
〃But not a rip…snorter like oursthey don't have him in cities； or even in towns； any more。 I've seen ours lots of times after the lights were outsaw him long after I'd convinced myself in daylight that he didn't exist。 But I never saw him so close as the night of the day I learned to play casino。〃
〃Did you learn in the stable？〃 asked Pierson。
〃That's where I learned； and mother slipped up behind meI didn't know what was coming till I saw the look in the other boy's face。 Then〃 Pierson left the rest to imagination。
〃I learned in the hay…loftmy sister and my cousin Ed and I。 One of the farm…hands taught us。 The cards were so stained we could hardly see the faces。 That made them look the more devilish。 And a thunder…storm came up and the lightning struck a tree a few rods from the barn。〃
〃Horrible！〃 exclaimed Pierson。 〃I'll bet you fell to praying。〃
〃Not I。 I'd just finished Tom Paine's Age of Reasona preacher's son down the pike stole it from a locked closet in his father's library and loaned it to me。 But I'll admit the thunderbolt staggered me。 I said to thempretty shakily； I guess： ‘Come on； let's begin again。' But the farm…hand said： ‘I reckon I'll get on the safe side；' and began to prayhow he roared！ And I laughedhow wicked and reckless and brave that laugh did sound to me。 'Bella and Ed didn't know which to be more afraid ofmy ridicule or the lightning。 They compromisedthey didn't pray and they didn't play。〃
〃And so you've never touched a card since。〃
〃We played again the next afternoonlet's have a game of poker。 I'm bored to death today。〃
This was Scarborough's first move toward the fast set of which Pierson was leader。 It was a small fast setthere were not many spoiled sons at Battle Field。 But its pace was rapid； for every member of it had a constitution that was a huge reservoir of animal spirits and western energy。 They 〃cribbed〃 their way through recitations and examinationsas the faculty did not put the students on honor but watched them； they reasoned that cribbing was not dishonorable provided one did barely enough of it to pull him through。 They drank a great dealusually whisky； which they disliked but poured down raw； because it was the 〃manly〃 drink and to take it undiluted was the 〃manly〃 way。 They made brief excursions to Indianapolis and Chicago for the sort of carousals that appeal to the strong appetites and undiscriminating tastes of robust and curious youth。
Scarborough at once began to reap the reward of his advantagesa naturally bold spirit； an unnaturally reckless mood。 In two weeks he won three hundred dollars； half of it from Pierson。 He went to Chicago and in three nights' play increased this to twenty…nine hundred。 The noise of the unprecedented achievement echoed through the college。 In its constellation of bad examples a new star had blazed out； a star of the first magnitude。
Bladen Scarborough had used his surplus to improve and extend his original farm。 But farms were now practically unsalable； and Hampden and Arabella were glad to let their cousin EdEd Warfieldstay on； rent free； because with him there they were certain that the place would be well kept up。 Hampden； poor in cash； had intended to spend the summer as a book agent。 Instead； he put by a thousand dollars of his winnings to insure next year's expenses and visited Pierson at his family's cottage in the summer colony at Mackinac。 He won at poker there and went on East； taking Pierson。 He lost all he had with him； all Pierson could lend him； telegraphed to Battle Field for half his thousand dollars； won back all he had lost and two thousand besides。
When he reappeared at Battle Field in September he was dazzling to behold。 His clothes were many and had been imported for him by the Chicago agent of a London tailor。 His shirts and ties were in patterns and styles that startled Battle Field。 He had taken on manners and personal habits befitting a 〃man of the world〃but he had not lost that simplicity and directness which were as unchangeably a part of him as the outlines of his face or the force which forbade him to be idle for a moment。 He and PiersonPierson was pupil； nowtook a suite of rooms over a shop in the town and furnished them luxuriously。 They had brought from New York to look after them and their belongings the first English manservant Battle Field had seen。
Scarborough kept up his college work； he continued regularly to attend the Literary Society and to be its most promising orator and debater； he committed no overt actothers might break the college rules； might be publicly intoxicated and noisy； but he was always master of himself and of the situation。 Some of the fanatical among the religious students believed and said that he had sold himself to the devil。 He would have been expelled summarily but for PiersonPierson's father was one of the two large contributors to the support of the college； and it was expected that he would will it a generous endowment。 To entrap Scarborough was to entrap Pierson。 To entrap Pierson The faculty strove to hear and see as little as possible of their doings。
In the college Y。M。C。A。 prayers were offered for Scarboroughhis name was not spoken； but every one understood。 A delegation of the religious among his faithful fellow barbs called upon him to pray and to exhort。 They came away more charmed than ever with their champion； and convinced that he was the victim of slander and envy。 Not that he had deliberately deceived them； for he hadn't； he was simply courteous and respectful of their sincerity。
〃The fraternities are in this somewhere；〃 the barbs decided。 〃They're trying to destroy him by lying abo