Part 54 (2/2)

”You would surely win it,” retorted the girl, a little nettled.

”I'll wager you a box of candy then, or anything you please.”

”Let it be anything I please,” she agreed, laughing. ”Mr. Morton, you are not going to let me get out alone?”

”Oh, no,” and I sprang out to a.s.sist her down.

”She wants you to be on hand in case the ferocious beast switches its tail,” cried Adah.

The hand she gave me trembled as I helped her out, and I saw that she regarded the placid creature with a dread that she could not disguise.

Picking up a little stick, she stepped cautiously and hesitatingly toward the animal. While still ridiculously far away, she stopped, brandished her stick, and said, with a quaver in her threatening tone, ”Get up, I tell you!”

But the cow ruminated quietly as if understanding well that there was no occasion for alarm.

The girl took one or two more faltering steps, and exclaimed, in a voice of desperate entreaty, ”Oh, please get up!”

We could scarcely contain ourselves for laughter.

”Oh, ye G.o.ds! how beautiful she is!” I murmured. ”With her arm over Dapple's neck she was a G.o.ddess. Now she's a shrinking woman. Heaven grant that it may be my lot to protect her from the real perils of life!”

The cow suddenly switched her tail at a teasing gadfly, and the girl precipitately sought my side.

Reuben sprang out of the rockaway and lay down and rolled in his uncontrollable mirth.

”Was there anything ever so ridiculous?” cried Adah; for to the country girl Miss Warren's fear was affectation.

At Adah's words Miss Warren's face suddenly became white and resolute.

”You, at least, shall not despise me,” she said to me in a low tone; and shutting her eyes she made a blind rush toward the cow. I had barely time to catch her, or she would have thrown herself on the horns of the startled animal that, with tail in air, careered away among the trees. The girl was so weak and faint that I had to support her; but I could not forbear saying, in a tone that she alone heard:

”Do we ever despise that which we love supremely?”

”Hus.h.!.+” she answered sternly.

Mrs. Yocomb was soon at our side with a flask of currant wine, and Adah laughed a little bitterly as she said, ”It was 'as good as a play'!”

Miss Warren recovered herself speedily by the aid of the generous wine, and this was the only cloud on our simple festivity. In her response to my ardent words she seemingly had satisfied her conscience, and she acted like one bent on making the most of this one occasion of fleeting pleasure.

Adah was the only one who mentioned the banker. ”How Mr. Hearn would have enjoyed being here with us!” she exclaimed.

Miss Warren's response was a sudden pallor and a remorseful expression; but Mr. Yocomb and I speedily created a diversion of thought; I saw, however, that Adah was watching her with a perplexed brow. The hours quickly pa.s.sed, and in the deepening shadows we returned homeward, Miss Warren singing some sweet old ballads, to which my heart kept time.

She seemed both to bring the evening to a close, and sat down at the piano. Adah and I listened, well content. Having put the children to bed Mrs. Yocomb joined us, and we chatted over the pleasant trip while waiting for Mr. Yocomb and Reuben, who had not returned from the barn.

At last Mrs. Yocomb said heartily, as if summing it all up:

”Well, Richard, thee's given us a bright, merry afternoon.”

”Yes, Richard,” Miss Warren began, as if her heart had spoken unawares--”I beg your pardon--Mr. Morton--” and then she stopped in piteous confusion, for I had turned toward her with all my unspeakable love in my face.

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