Part 32 (1/2)

”And you'll”--Geraldine swallowed--”you'll be careful?”

Ben nodded. ”All my promises hold,” he replied, looking straight into her eyes with only the ghost of his old smile, as Miss Upton noticed.

Geraldine ran upstairs, brought down her father's letter, and gave it to him.

He took it with a nod of thanks. ”How do you think you will like to fly, Pete?” he asked. ”You can go home with me, or, if you prefer it, in the trolley.”

”Anywhere with you, Master,” returned the boy. He felt certain that Rufus Carder would not be met among the clouds, but who could be sure that he would not pop up in a trolley car.

”Very well, then. Good-bye, everybody, and expect us when you see us.”

”Good-bye, you dear boy,” cried Miss Mehitable. _Somebody_ should call him ”dear.” She was determined on that. ”Always workin' for others,” she continued loudly, ”and riskin' your life the way you are.” She moved to the door, and raised her voice still higher as the strangely a.s.sorted pair moved away up the road. ”I hope you'll get your reward sometime!”

she shouted; then she turned back and glared at Geraldine.

The girl put her hand on her heart. ”It startled me so to see him--just as he looked on that--that--dreadful day,” she was going to say, but how could she so characterize the day of her full joy and wonder? So her voice died to silence, and Miss Upton began slamming articles up on the shelves with unnecessary violence, while Geraldine, smiling into the packing-boxes, meekly set about helping her.

Pete, like Geraldine before him, was in such terror of his former master and so full of trust in his present one, that he swallowed his fears as the plane rose for its short trip, and he found the experience enjoyable. Ben, when they reached the house, sought his mother. She was walking on the piazza.

”You didn't tell me you were off for a flight,” she said in an annoyed tone.

”Well, it was now you see me and now you don't this time, wasn't it? You had hardly time to miss me. I flew over to the Port to get Pete. We have to go to the city to-night. I'll be gone a few days, Mother, perhaps a week.”

”On some disgusting business connected with that unspeakable man, I suppose.”

”Verily I believe it will be very disgusting; but it has to be gone through with.”

”Why does it?” His mother stood before him and spoke desperately. ”Why can't you let it alone?”

”I've told you--because it affects the happiness of my future wife.”

Mrs. Barry's eyes were hard, though her cheeks grew crimson. ”You haven't announced your engagement to me. Don't you think I should be one of the first to know?” she said.

”I'm not engaged.” Ben smiled into her angry, hurt eyes. ”Something stands in the way as yet.”

”What?”

”Can't you guess?”

They continued to exchange a steady gaze. She spoke first.

”Do you mean to say that anyone concerned in the affair still considers _me_?”

Her boy's smile became a laugh at the deliberate manner of her sarcasm.

”Oh, cut it out, Mother mine,” he said. And though she tried to hold stiffly away from him, he hugged her and kissed her and pulled her down beside him on a wicker seat.

She could not get away from his encircling arm and probably she did not wish to.

”Ben, I've had a most disagreeable day,” she declared. ”Everybody within fifteen miles knows that you flew into the village with a strange girl.”

”They said she was pretty, didn't they?”