Then Judith proceeded to sit down by her basket of broken china and burst into tears.
“Oh, my dear, my dear!” cried Jeff, no longer uncertain of what he should do. “Don’t! Please don’t! I wish I had wrung his neck.”
“You! Where did you come from?” gasped Judith. “I didn’t see you. You needn’t think 200 I am crying because—because—”
“Because you have been insulted?”
“No. I’m just so miserable because last night I was so happy, and all day I have been happy and now I am not.” She looked like a little girl who had just found out her doll was stuffed with sawdust.
“Look at my dishes! As long as they had to be broken I wish I might have had the pleasure of hitting that man with them instead of making a dent in my perfectly good milk cooler.” She laughed and began picking up the pieces of china.
Was this the staid young lawyer who had determined to see no more of this red-haired girl—to nip in the bud any feeling he might have developed for her? Was this the same man, running down dale and up hill with a basket of broken china on his arm, while the red-haired girl chased on ahead with an empty milk can, running to make up for lost time and not be late with the motormen’s supper? He must wait and help Judith carry the basket. She had no time to wrangle with him about whether he should or should not wait. Supper was cooked but it must be packed properly and the finishing touches put to it. Mrs. Buck was wandering around the kitchen making futile 201 attempts to help. Jeff, who was sitting outside on a bench under the syringa bushes, could hear her querulous drawl and Judith’s quick, good-natured replies.
“Never mind the china, Mumsy. Some of the pieces can be used as soap dishes and some maybe we can mend. I’ll tell you all about how it happened some day but now I must hurry. There’s a young man waiting in the back yard to help me carry my basket. If you look out the side window you can see who it is, but don’t let him see you peeping.”
Then there was the mad race back to the station. There was no time or breath for talk. They reached the platform several minutes before the seven o’clock trolley.
“Heavens! I came mighty near forgetting what I came all the way from Buck Hill to find out,” declared Jeff.