Part 17 (2/2)

She looked at him with a reflection that said much. She took him in with a judicial summing up of which it must be owned an added respect was part. She had always believed he had more sense than most young men, and now she knew it.

”When a person's clever enough to see things for himself, he's generally clever enough to manage them,” she replied.

He knelt down beside the trunk and took both her hands in his. He held them fast and rather hard.

”Are you throwing me down for good, Little Ann?” he said. ”If you are, I can't stand it, I won't stand it.”

”If you care about me like that, you'll do what I tell you,” she interrupted, and she slipped down from the top of her trunk. ”I know what Mother would say. She'd say, 'Ann, you give that young man a chance.' And I'm going to give you one. I've said all I'm going to, Mr. Temple Barholm.”

He took both her elbows and looked at her closely, feeling a somewhat awed conviction.

” I - believe - you have,” he said.

And here the sound of Mr. Hutchinson's loud and stertorous breathing ceased, and he waked up, and came to the door to find out what Ann was doing.

”What are you two talking about?” he asked. ”People think when they whisper it's not going to disturb anybody, but it's worse than shouting in a man's ear.”

Tembarom walked into the room.

”I've been asking Little Ann to marry me,” he announced, ”and she won't.”

He sat down in a chair helplessly, and let his head fall into his hands.

”Eh!” exclaimed Hutchinson. He turned and looked at Ann disturbedly.

”I thought a bit ago tha didn't deny but what tha'd took to him?”

”I didn't, Father,” she answered. ”I don't change my mind that quick.

I - would have been willing to say 'Yes' when you wouldn't have been willing to let me. I didn't know he was Mr. Temple Barholm then.”

Hutchinson rubbed the back of his head, reddening and rather bristling.

”Dost tha think th' Temple Barholms would look down on thee?”

”I should look down on myself if I took him up at his first words, when he's all upset with excitement, and hasn't had time to find out what things mean. I'm--well, I 'm too fond of him, Father.”

Hutchinson gave her a long, steady look.

”You are? ” he said.

”Yes, I am.”

Tembarom lifted his head, and looked at her, too.

”Are you?” he asked.

She put her hands behind her back, and returned his look with the calm of ages.

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