“She has been gettin’ a lot of attention lately,” blurted the Honorable Pulaski, with malice and derision. “For the past three or four days, Rodburd, your young partner here has been her steady company. They have just come strollin’ alone together down the Lovers’ Lane from Jerusalem Knob.” He fixed his keen eyes on the astonished face of Nina Ide. His narrow nature believed that, like other girls, she could be stirred to quick jealousy. And knowing her influence over her father, he foresaw trouble ahead for the partnership between Ide and Wade. “Seems to be in the air up this way now for the young men to gallivant through the woods with the Skeet girl. Wade here seems to have cut out Colin MacLeod.” Then the coarse old jester sneered into the indignant face Wade turned to him.
“It will be a good thing for her to go to school,” said Ide, a little puzzled by the evident antagonism of these men. “It will be kind of you, Mr. Barrett.”
“Say, look here, Ide,” cried Britt, in his irritation suddenly deciding to play the strong hand with this young interloper, “your friend Wade here, being a school-teacher, seems to have school on the brain. He also seems to be full of ready-made plans for men older and better than he is. From things that come to me, he has picked up a lot of foolishness about these Skeets and Bushees and this girl since he’s been cruisin’ round these woods. Mr. Barrett and myself have made arrangements to take care of the rest of that pauper settlement, and the Skeets probably told you so when you met them.”
Ide nodded acknowledgment.
“We’ll look after the girl, too.” He walked up to Wade and snapped his fingers, unable to resist his desire to bully. “Now, young fellow, you’ve been stickin’ your nose pretty deep into other men’s business. Take it out, or I’ll twist it off your face. Any one would think that this girl matter was runnin’ the world in these parts. There’s been too much talk about what’s of no consequence. Go along with your partner. You’re on my land. Keep movin’.”
But all of Dwight Wade’s stubborn obstinacy rose in his breast; all his youthful chivalry flamed in his face.
“I’ve no more business with you, Britt!” he said, significantly; and Britt’s face flamed with the remembrance of a certain knock-down blow. “My business is with you, Mr. Barrett, and you know what it is. You keep the word that you’ve given me about this girl, or I’ll set you before the people of this State in your right colors—and you needn’t croak blackmail to me, for you can’t frighten me.”
“I—I—don’t see that it’s any business of yours—of yours, Wade,” stammered the pacificatory Ide, catching the courage of protest from the rather indignant face his daughter turned on the young man.
“And I don’t see that it is the business of any of you!” stormed Kate Arden. She came close to the group of men and stood with brown hands propped on her hips, her head thrown back, and the insolent stare of her black eyes seeking face after face. “I’ll be passed about from hand to hand no longer. I don’t want any old purple-faced fool to send me to school.” Barrett winced. “And as for you,” she sneered, turning on Wade, “you attend to your own business until I ask you to help me in mine.”
The Honorable Pulaski saw his opportunity.