Part 12 (1/2)

The boy toiled up the rocks to the top of the cave, and Flea heard his departing steps for a moment, then seated herself in tremulous fear.

Flukey pushed open the cabin door, listened a moment, and stepped in. No sound save of loud breathing came from the back room where the old woman slept. At the top of the ladder he could hear Lon snoring loudly. Flukey crawled upon his knees to a small box against the wall. He pulled out a pair of brown overalls and a blue s.h.i.+rt, and with great caution crept back. Almost before Flea realized that he had gone, he was in the cave again with s.n.a.t.c.het in his arms, displaying his plunder.

”Put 'em on quick!” ordered Flukey. ”Here, hold still!” As he spoke, he gathered Flea's black curls into his fingers and cut them off boylike to her head. ”If Pappy Lon catches us,” he went on, ”he'll knock h.e.l.l out of us both.”

The girl, having surrendered her spirit of command, crawled into the trousers and donned the blue s.h.i.+rt. After extinguis.h.i.+ng the candle, which Flukey slipped into his pocket, they clambered out of the cave, leaving the rocky floor strewn with locks of hair, and stole softly along the sh.o.r.e toward the college hill.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Horace Sh.e.l.lington, newly fledged attorney and counsellor-at-law, sat in his luxurious library, his feet c.o.c.ked upon the desk in true bachelor fas.h.i.+on. He was apparently deep in thought, his handsome head resting against the back of the chair, when his meditations were broken by a knock at the door.

”Come in. Is it you, Sis?” he said.

”Yes, Dear,” was the answer as the girl entered. ”Everett wants us to go in his party to the Dryden fair. Would you like to?”

Horace glanced up quizzically and smiled as the blush mounted to her fair hair. ”The question, Ann dear, rests with you.”

”I never tire being with Everett,” Ann said slowly.

”That's because you're in love with him, Sis. When a girl is in love she always wants to be with the lucky chap.”

”And doesn't he want to be with her?” demanded Ann eagerly.

”Of course. And, Ann, I shouldn't ask for a better fellow than Everett is, only that I don't want you to leave me right away. Without you, Dear, I think I should die of the blue devils!”

”Do you want me to stay at home until you, too, get ready to marry?” Ann asked laughingly. ”I'm afraid I should never have a chance to help Everett make a home if you did; for you simply won't like any of the girls I know.”

”I want to get well started in my profession before I think of marrying. I am happy over the fact that I have been able to enter Vandecar's law office. He's the strongest man in the state in his line, and it means New York for me some day. Vandecar is even more powerful than Brimbecomb.”

”I'm glad for you, Horace, because it seems to me that you have an opportunity that few men have. Nothing can ever keep you back! And you are so very young, Dear!”

”No, nothing can keep me back now, Ann. Sit down, do.”

”Not now, Dear; I'll run away from you, and tell Everett that you will go to Dryden with us--and I do hope that the weather will be fine!”

Ann tripped out, her heart light with contentment. Her star of happiness had reached its zenith when Everett Brimbecomb had asked her to be his wife. Rich in her own right, of the bluest blood in the state, soon to marry the man who had been her ideal since their childhood days, why should she not be happy?

After leaving Horace, Ann went to the side window and tapped upon it.

Receiving no response, she lifted the sash and called softly to her fiance. Hearing her voice, Everett Brimbecomb appeared at the opposite window. The girl's heart thrilled with happiness as he smiled upon her.

”Run over a minute, Everett,” she called.

”All right, dear heart.”

His voice was so vibrantly low and rich that the girl experienced a feeling of thanksgiving as she stood waiting for him at the door. When he came, the lovers went into the drawing-room, where a grate fire burned dim.

”Horace says he'll go to Dryden, Everett,” Ann announced, ”and I'm so glad! I thought he might say that he was too busy.”

Everett smiled, slipped his arm about the girl's waist, and for a moment she leaned against him like a frail, sweet flower.