“Go on!” said Jay shortly; “I got another un.”
“But why do I need a gun?” Jay was distinctly embarrassed.
“Well,” he drawled, “thar's some purty bad fellers 'bout hyeh, an' when they gits drunk they might do somethin'. Now that Jerry Lipps you seed hyeh t'other day a-staggerin' off drunk—he's bad. An' you do a heap o' travellin' alone. This ain't fer you to kill nobody but jus' kind o' to pertect yerself.”
“All right,” laughed Doctor Jim. “I couldn't hit a barn—” but to humor Jay he took the weapon, and this time Pleasant Trouble did not walk home with him.
Later he mentioned the matter to St. Hilda, who looked very grave.
“Yes, Jerry Lipps is a bad man. He's just out of the penitentiary. Pleasant walked home with you to protect you from him. They won't let him do anything to you openly. And Jay gave you that gun in case he should attack you when nobody was around.”
“But what has the fellow got against me?” The teacher hesitated.
“Well, Jerry used to be in love with Juno, but she would never have anything to do with him and he never would let her have anything to do with anybody else. He shot one boy, and shot at another, and he has always sworn that he would kill the man she married.”
“Nonsense!” he said, but going home that night Doctor Jim carried the gun where he could get at it quickly.
“My God!” he muttered with grim humor; “no wonder Juno didn't want me to come.”