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truculent temper； although； as the boy had often bitterly remarked；
it had always 〃told agin' him。〃
〃All right；〃 said the master； perfectly convinced。 〃It must have
been my fancy； but I thought somebody looked inor passed by the
window。〃
But here Johnny； who had overheard the dialogue and approached
them； suddenly threw himself upon his brother's unoffending legs
and commenced to beat and pull them about with unintelligible
protests。 Rupert； without looking down； said quietly； 〃Quit that
nowI won't； I tell ye；〃 and went through certain automatic
movements of dislodging Johnny as if he were a mere impeding puppy。
〃What's the matter； Johnny？〃 said the master； to whom these
gyrations were not unfamiliar。
Johnny only replied by a new grip of his brother's trousers。
〃Well； sir；〃 said Rupert； slightly recovering his dimples and his
readiness； 〃Johnny； yer； wants me to tell ye something。 Ef he
wasn't the most original self…cocking； God…forsaken liar in Injin
Springef he didn't lie awake in his crib mornin's to invent lies
fer the day； I wouldn't mind tellin' ye； and would hev told you
before。 However； since you ask； and since you think you saw
somebody around the school…house； Johnny yer allows that Seth Davis
is spyin' round and followin' ye wherever you go； and he dragged me
down yer to see it。 He says he saw him doggin' ye。〃
〃With a knife and pithtolth；〃 added Johnny's boundless imagination；
to the detriment of his limited facts。
Mr。 Ford looked keenly from the one to the other； but rather with a
suspicion that they were cognizant of his late fracas than belief
in the truth of Johnny's statement。
〃And what do YOU think of it； Rupert？〃 he asked carelessly。
I think； sir；〃 said Rupert； 〃that allowin'for onctthat Johnny
ain't lying； mebbee it's Cressy McKinstry that Seth's huntin'
round； and knowin' that she's always runnin' after you〃he
stopped； and reddening with a newborn sense that his fatal
truthfulness had led him into a glaring indelicacy towards the
master； hurriedly added： 〃I mean； sir； that mebbee it's Uncle Ben
he's jealous of； now that he's got rich enough for Cressy to hev
him； and knowin' he comes to school in the afternoon perhaps〃
〃'Tain't either！〃 broke in Johnny promptly。 〃Theth's over ther
beyond the thchool； and Crethy's eatin' ithecream at the bakerth
with Uncle Ben。〃
〃Well； suppose she is； Seth don't know it； silly！〃 answered Rupert；
sharply。 Then more politely to the master： 〃That's it！ Seth has
seen Uncle Ben gallivanting with Cressy and thinks he's bringing
her over yer。 Don't you see？〃
The master however did not see but one thing。 The girl who had
only two days ago carelessly left it to him to explain a compromising
situation to her motherthis girl who had precipitated him into a
frontier fight to the peril of his position and her good name； was
calmly eating ices with an available suitor without the least
concern of the past！ The connection was perhaps illogical； but it
was unpleasant。 It was the more awkward from the fact that he
fancied that not only Rupert's beautiful eyes； but even the infant
Johnny's round ones； were fixed upon him with an embarrassed
expression of hesitating and foreboding sympathy。
〃I think Johnny believes what he saysdon't you； Johnny？〃 he
smiled with an assumption of cheerful ease； 〃but I see no necessity
just yet for binding Seth Davis over to keep the peace。 Tell me
about yourself； Rupe。 I hope Uncle Ben doesn't think of changing
his young tutor with his good fortune？〃
〃No； sir；〃 returned Rupert brightening； 〃he promises to take me to
Sacramento with him as his private secretary or confidential clerk；
you know； efef〃he hesitated again with very un…Rupert…like
caution； 〃ef things go as he wants 'em。〃 He stopped awkwardly and
his brown eyes became clouded。 〃Like ez not； Mr。 Ford； he's only
foolin' meandHIMSELF。〃 The boy's eyes sought the master's
curiously。
〃I don't know about that；〃 returned Mr。 Ford uneasily； with a
certain recollection of Uncle Ben's triumph over his own
incredulity； 〃he surely hasn't shown himself a fool or a boaster so
far。 I consider your prospect a very fair one； and I wish you joy
of it； my boy。〃 He ran his fingers through Rupert's curls in his
old caressing fashion； the more tenderly perhaps that he fancied he
still saw symptoms of stormy and wet weather in the boy's brown
eyes。 〃Run along home； both of you； and don't worry yourselves
about me。〃
He turned away； but had scarcely proceeded half a dozen yards
before he felt a tug at his coat。 Looking down he saw the
diminutive Johnny。 〃They'll be comin' home thith way；〃 he said；
reaching up in a hoarse confidential whisper。
〃Who？〃
〃Crethy and 'im。〃
But before the master could make any response to this presumably
gratifying information； Johnny had rejoined his brother。 The two
boys waved their hands towards him with the same diffident and
mysterious sympathy that left him hesitating between a smile and a
frown。 Then he proceeded on his way。 Nevertheless； for no other
reason than that he felt a sudden distaste to meeting any one； when
he reached the point where the trail descended directly to the
settlement； he turned into a longer and more solitary detour by the
woods。
The sun was already so low that its long rays pierced the forest
from beneath； and suffused the dim colonnade of straight pine
shafts with a golden haze； while it left the dense intercrossed
branches fifty feet above in deeper shadow。 Walking in this yellow
twilight； with his feet noiselessly treading down the yielding
carpet of pine needles； it seemed to the master that he was passing
through the woods in a dream。 There was no sound but the dull
intermittent double knock of the wood…pecker； or the drowsy croak
of some early roosting bird； all suggestion of the settlement； with
all traces of human contiguity； were left far behind。 It was
therefore with a strange and nervous sense of being softly hailed
by some woodland sprite that he seemed to hear his own name faintly
wafted upon the air。 He turned quickly； it was Cressy； panting
behind him！ Even then； in her white closely gathered skirts； her
bared head and graceful arching neck bent forward； her flying
braids freed from the straw hat which she had swung from her arm so
as not to impede her flight； there was so much of the following
Maenad about her that he was for an instant startled。
He stopped； she bounded to him； and throwing her arms around his
neck with a light laugh； let herself hang for a moment breathless
on his breast。 Then recovering her speech she said slowly：
〃I started on an Injin trot after you； just as you turned off the
trail； but you'd got so far ahead while I was shaking myself clear
of Uncle Ben that I had to jist lope the whole way through the
woods to catch up。〃 She stopped； and looking up into his troubled
face caught his cheeks between her hands； and bringing his knit
brows down to the level of her humid blue eyes said； 〃You haven't
kissed me yet。 What's the matter？〃
〃Doesn't it strike you that I might ask that question； considering
that it's three days since I've seen you； and that you left me； in
a rather awkward position； to explain matters to your mother？〃 he
said coldly。 He had formulated the sentence in his mind some
moments before； but now that it was uttered； it appeared singularly
weak and impotent。
〃That's so；〃 she said with a frank laugh； burying her face in his
waistcoat。 〃You see； dandy boy〃his pet name〃I reckoned for
that reason we'd better lie low for a day or two。 Well；〃 she
continued； untying his cravat and retying it again； 〃how DID you
crawl out of it？〃
〃Do you mean to say your mother did not tell you？〃 he asked
indignantly。
〃Why should she？〃 returned Cressy lazily。 〃She never talks to me
of these things； honey。〃
〃And you knew nothing about it？〃
Cressy shook her head； and then winding one of her long braids
around the young man's neck； offered the end of it to his mouth；
and on his sternly declining it； took it in her own。
Yet even her ignorance of what had really happened did not account
to the master for the indifference of her long silence； and albeit
conscious of some inefficiency in his present unheroic attitude； he
continued sarcastically； 〃May I ask WHAT you imagined would happen
when you left me？〃
〃Well；〃 said Cressy confidently； 〃I reckoned； chile； you could lie
as well as the next man； and that； being gifted； you'd sling Maw
something new and purty。 Why； I ain't got no fancy； but I fixed up
something against Paw's questioning ME。 I made that conceited
Masters promise to swear that HE was in the barn with me。 Then I
calculated to tell Paw that you came meandering along just before
Maw popped in； and that I skedaddled to join Masters。 Of course；〃
she added q