Part 11 (1/2)
Nancy sprang to her feet.
”Let's race from--here--to that big elm way down there.” She indicated with her finger a giant elm in the ”ten-acre strip.”
”How you goin' to get over that stone fence?” And Davy pointed out the low stretch of stones that marked the dividing line between the orchard and the ten-acre strip.
”Oh, _that_! That's easy!”
Plainly Davy's respect was growing. He danced first on one foot and then on the other. ”You are a sport. If you can beat I'll let you join the club. I'll count! One--two--three!”
They were off over the stubby gra.s.s. Nancy, longer-limbed, caught the lead. She vaulted the fence with agile ease. But Davy soon caught up to her and in the last few yards pa.s.sed her. Laughing, breathless, Nancy reached the tree and clung to it.
”Hurray,” came from behind them.
There, approaching them, was the ”hired man.” He had seemingly sprung from nowhere.
Flushed and disheveled by the race, an intruder on the enemy's own ground, Nancy was at a disarming disadvantage. Besides, Davy greeted the newcomer rapturously.
”Say, she's as good's a boy. She's goin' to join the club!” he announced, with triumph. ”As honery member,” he added.
Peter Hyde held out a brown hand.
”Congratulations! And to the club, too!”
Nancy was conscious that he was staring at her in a perplexed way. Her cheeks already red from running took on an added color under his glance. But there was a friendliness in his, eyes that won, her in spite of her resolve to avenge at every opportunity her injured dignity.
”I'd have won,” she retorted laughingly, ”if it hadn't been for--these,” and she swished her white skirts. ”But I don't care as long as Davy says I may join the club. Meetings whenever Liz cleans the meeting-house,” she repeated.
”And she can swim and she can play ball and says we can make fires and things,” cried Davy to Peter Hyde.
”Then you won't need me anymore?”
”You can be a honery member, too. She says they do nice things for clubs.”
Peter Hyde put an arm across Davy's shoulder. ”I think we could do a lot of nice things for Davy and his club,” he said, directly to Nancy.
”Seems to me there's energy and enthusiasm here that's being sort of wasted. What do you say--shall we be honery members?”
Nancy nodded. ”I swear to keep all the rules.”
Davy hopped with joy. ”Wait 'til I tell the fellers. I guess you'll see 'em round, even if they do get a lickin'! But, say,” he stopped short, inspired by a sudden thought, ”mebbe now Mis' Leavitt's niece b'longs they won't _have_ to sneak!”
Peter Hyde walked back with Nancy and Davy as far as the stone wall.
From, the corner of her eye Nancy was, quite against her will, admiring the straight figure whose strength was only made more evident by the rough working clothes.
”He seems _nice_--for a hired man,” she was thinking, all the while she was answering Davy's boyish questions.
And more than once, as he watched Nancy, that first perplexing look came back into Peter Hyde's eyes.
”Why, she _isn't_ a kid, after all!”
CHAPTER X