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foolin' meandHIMSELF。〃 The boy's eyes sought the master's
curiously。
〃I don't know about that；〃 returned Mr。 Ford uneasily； with a
certain recollection of Uncle Ben's triumph over his own
incredulity； 〃he surely hasn't shown himself a fool or a boaster so
far。 I consider your prospect a very fair one； and I wish you joy
of it； my boy。〃 He ran his fingers through Rupert's curls in his
old caressing fashion； the more tenderly perhaps that he fancied he
still saw symptoms of stormy and wet weather in the boy's brown
eyes。 〃Run along home； both of you； and don't worry yourselves
about me。〃
He turned away； but had scarcely proceeded half a dozen yards
before he felt a tug at his coat。 Looking down he saw the
diminutive Johnny。 〃They'll be comin' home thith way；〃 he said；
reaching up in a hoarse confidential whisper。
〃Who？〃
〃Crethy and 'im。〃
But before the master could make any response to this presumably
gratifying information； Johnny had rejoined his brother。 The two
boys waved their hands towards him with the same diffident and
mysterious sympathy that left him hesitating between a smile and a
frown。 Then he proceeded on his way。 Nevertheless； for no other
reason than that he felt a sudden distaste to meeting any one； when
he reached the point where the trail descended directly to the
settlement； he turned into a longer and more solitary detour by the
woods。
The sun was already so low that its long rays pierced the forest
from beneath； and suffused the dim colonnade of straight pine
shafts with a golden haze； while it left the dense intercrossed
branches fifty feet above in deeper shadow。 Walking in this yellow
twilight； with his feet noiselessly treading down the yielding
carpet of pine needles； it seemed to the master that he was passing
through the woods in a dream。 There was no sound but the dull
intermittent double knock of the wood…pecker； or the drowsy croak
of some early roosting bird； all suggestion of the settlement； with
all traces of human contiguity； were left far behind。 It was
therefore with a strange and nervous sense of being softly hailed
by some woodland sprite that he seemed to hear his own name faintly
wafted upon the air。 He turned quickly； it was Cressy； panting
behind him！ Even then； in her white closely gathered skirts； her
bared head and graceful arching neck bent forward； her flying
braids freed from the straw hat which she had swung from her arm so
as not to impede her flight； there was so much of the following
Maenad about her that he was for an instant startled。
He stopped； she bounded to him； and throwing her arms around his
neck with a light laugh； let herself hang for a moment breathless
on his breast。 Then recovering her speech she said slowly：
〃I started on an Injin trot after you； just as you turned off the
trail； but you'd got so far ahead while I was shaking myself clear
of Uncle Ben that I had to jist lope the whole way through the
woods to catch up。〃 She stopped； and looking up into his troubled
face caught his cheeks between her hands； and bringing his knit
brows down to the level of her humid blue eyes said； 〃You haven't
kissed me yet。 What's the matter？〃
〃Doesn't it strike you that I might ask that question； considering
that it's three days since I've seen you； and that you left me； in
a rather awkward position； to explain matters to your mother？〃 he
said coldly。 He had formulated the sentence in his mind some
moments before； but now that it was uttered； it appeared singularly
weak and impotent。
〃That's so；〃 she said with a frank laugh； burying her face in his
waistcoat。 〃You see； dandy boy〃his pet name〃I reckoned for
that reason we'd better lie low for a day or two。 Well；〃 she
continued； untying his cravat and retying it again； 〃how DID you
crawl out of it？〃
〃Do you mean to say your mother did not tell you？〃 he asked
indignantly。
〃Why should she？〃 returned Cressy lazily。 〃She never talks to me
of these things； honey。〃
〃And you knew nothing about it？〃
Cressy shook her head； and then winding one of her long braids
around the young man's neck； offered the end of it to his mouth；
and on his sternly declining it； took it in her own。
Yet even her ignorance of what had really happened did not account
to the master for the indifference of her long silence； and albeit
conscious of some inefficiency in his present unheroic attitude； he
continued sarcastically； 〃May I ask WHAT you imagined would happen
when you left me？〃
〃Well；〃 said Cressy confidently； 〃I reckoned； chile； you could lie
as well as the next man； and that； being gifted； you'd sling Maw
something new and purty。 Why； I ain't got no fancy； but I fixed up
something against Paw's questioning ME。 I made that conceited
Masters promise to swear that HE was in the barn with me。 Then I
calculated to tell Paw that you came meandering along just before
Maw popped in； and that I skedaddled to join Masters。 Of course；〃
she added quickly； tightening her hold of the master as he made a
sudden attempt at withdrawal； 〃I didn't let on to Masters WHY I
wanted him to promise； or that you were there。〃
〃Cressy；〃 said Ford； irritated beyond measure； 〃are you mad； or do
you think I am？〃
The girl's face changed。 She cast a half frightened； half
questioning glance at his eyes and then around the darkening aisle。
〃If we're going to quarrel； Jack；〃 she said hurriedly； 〃don't let's
do it BEFORE FOLKS。〃
〃In the name of Heaven；〃 he said； following her eyes indignantly；
〃what do you mean？〃
〃I mean；〃 she said； with a slight shiver of resignation and scorn；
〃if youoh dear！ if IT'S ALL going to be like THEM； let's keep it
to ourselves。〃
He gazed at her in hopeless bewilderment。 Did she really mean that
she was more frightened at the possible revelation of their
disagreement than of their intimacy？
〃Come；〃 she continued tenderly； still glancing； however； uneasily
around her； 〃come！ We'll be more comfortable in the hollow。 It's
only a step。〃 Still holding him by her braid she half led； half
dragged him away。 To the right was one of those sudden depressions
in the ground caused by the subsidence of the earth from hidden
springs and the uprooting of one or two of the larger trees。 When
she had forced him down this declivity below the level of the
needle…strewn forest floor； she seated him upon a mossy root； and
shaking out her skirts in a half childlike； half coquettish way；
comfortably seated herself in his lap； with her arm supplementing
the clinging braid around his neck。
〃Now hark to me； and don't holler so loud；〃 she said turning his
face to her questioning eyes。 〃What's gone of you anyway； nigger
boy？〃 It should be premised that Cressy's terms of endearment were
mainly negro…dialectical； reminiscences of her brief babyhood； her
slave…nurse； and the only playmates she had ever known。
Still impl