No, it wasn’t that, David was sure; but of course Lester was very busy, with athletics and college organizations and—and—
“Studies, too,” said Ruth. “Poor Lester! But you must tell him, David, that if he will only come up and see us I will promise not to lecture him the way I used to do. How angry I once made him! Do you still help him with his lessons?”
David assured her that he did not and that Lester was getting on very well. When he returned to Cambridge from that visit, he told Lester of Ruth’s interest and of the way some of the masters like young Blatch and the middle-aged Manners seemed to be pursuing her. Lester scowled and said that she was too good for any masters at St. Timothy’s.
“She’s grown prettier,” said David.
“It’s too bad a girl like that should be stuck up there in the country by herself—no society but that of kids and school-teachers. I guess I’ll have to go and see her some Sunday.”
The popular youth performed this missionary act more than once. He returned with impressions of the old school that were vaguely displeasing to David. The rector and the masters were “narrow” and “provincial,” and the boys were an uncouth lot of young ruffians. As for Ruth, however, she met the requirements even of Lester’s exacting taste. There wasn’t a better-looking or better-dressed girl in Boston, and he supposed she didn’t spend a tenth of what most of the Boston girls spent on clothes. Really it would be a shame if young Blatch or that pompous fool, Manners, should be successful in his grossly obvious maneuvers and imprison her for life in that dull little community. A girl with her looks and social gifts was qualified to take a prominent place anywhere. Some old St. Timothy’s boy ought to rescue her from the dismal fate that threatened.
“Of course she’s not very old yet,” David suggested.
Lester could not see anything reassuring in that fact. Just because she was so young and inexperienced, had seen so little of the world outside, she was all the more in danger of becoming the prey of a greenhorn like Blatch or a fossil like Manners.