Seizing it, he read the title, then lifted an eager face. “Oh, teacher, this one will be just right if you can spare it.”
The tone of the young woman expressed her mingled surprise and doubt. “Why, no, Ken, an old hermit would not care for Wells.”
But the boy persisted, “Yes’m, teacher, he would. Rattlesnake Sam said he liked history best.”
“Very well, dear,” Miss Bayley replied meekly. Then she added, “Suppose you take along this new current-events magazine that just came yesterday. Perhaps your old hermit would like that, too.”
“Oh, thank you, teacher, Miss Bayley!” How the red-brown eyes were glowing! “An’ I’ll tell him that you sent ’em, and he’ll be just ever so careful of them.”
“I’m sure that he will. Good-by, my boy.” Then for a moment the girl stood in the open doorway, watching the bare brown legs that fairly flew down the trail. Turning back to complete the preparation of her breakfast, she found herself trying to picture what the old hermit looked like. “Perhaps he is some dry-as-dust professor, who is studying fossils and rocks. He probably had a long gray beard, a leathery, wrinkled face, and kindly blue eyes that are near-sighted.” Then she sighed. Perhaps even Miss Bayley was a little disappointed that the builder of the campfire that had so interested her had proved to be so old and fogyish. “Well, what does it matter? I probably shall never see him,” she thought.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
AN UNWELCOME GUEST
As Ken descended the trail leading to his log-cabin home, he was surprised to see a horse and buggy just leaving the drive. In it was no other than the banker from Genoa, who was so loved by the Martin children. He did not seem to see the boy, who hurried on down the trail, his heart filled with dread lest the keeper of their income had been there to report that once again it had diminished.
This fear was confirmed, or so he believed, when he saw Dixie run out of the house and toward him, an expression on her face which plainly told her brother that her heart was perplexed or dismayed.
“Dix, what’s the matter? Is the money all gone? I say, Sis, if it’s that, don’t take it hard. I can go to work driving sheep over to the Valley Ranch any day! Mr. Piggins said so last week.”