Then Evered said, “She was with Dane Semler at the spring.”
The gentler lines of his son’s face slowly hardened into a likeness of his own. The young man asked, “Where’s Semler?”
“Ran away,” said Evered.
“I had wanted a word with him.”
Evered laughed shortly; and it was almost the first time that John had ever seen him laugh, so that the sight was shocking and terrible. Then the older man turned back into the house.
John followed him and asked quickly, “It was at the spring?”
“Yes. The bull broke down his fence to get at a dog.”
“We must bring her home,” the son suggested quietly. “Where is Ruth?”
“Down there,” Evered told him.
John turned to the door again. “We’ll bring her home,” he said; and Evered saw the young man go swiftly across the farmyard and vault the fence and start at an easy run in the direction Ruth had gone.