Tom and Phil both breathed easier. It seemed that Miss Harrison would not “cut” Sid after all. Perhaps their precautions had been useless.
They were not aware that a girl can sometimes, under force of circumstances, assume a part she does not feel. It was this way with Mabel Harrison. She did not want to meet Sid, but she was too cultured to cause his friends sorrow by refusing to notice his presence. So, with somewhat heightened color, she stood in the group composed of her chums, Phil and Tom, and watched the young naturalist coming nearer and nearer. So intent was Sid on getting the picture that he had not, as yet, seen his chums or the girls.
There was a click of the camera, and, a moment later, after the exposure had been made, the gorgeous butterfly sailed gracefully off through the air.
“Did you get it?” called out Tom, and Sid looked up.
“Yes,” he replied. “A fine and rare specimen.” Then he saw Miss Harrison, and halted in his approach, which he had begun. But, he also, was too proud to turn back now, and came on. The others advanced toward him, and Miss Harrison was just bowing, coolly perhaps, but with a show of cordiality, when from the bushes there stepped a gaily attired youth, whom neither Phil, Tom, nor either of the girls seemed to know.
“Hello, Sid, old chap!” greeted the newcomer in easy but rather too loud tones. “I’ve been trying to pipe you off for ever so long. Looked all over for you. Say, this place is dead slow. Not even so much as a ring-cane game. What makes you college sports come here? It’s too dead for me. But I’ve found a bunch of good things. Come on over and we’ll have a little poker, and I’ll depend on you to——”
The sportily dressed youth paused, for Sid had started back with horror at the sight of him, and had made an unmistakable gesture of caution.
“What’s the matter?” went on the flashily attired one. “Ain’t I good enough to speak to you? Or maybe you think the dames give me the fussers. Not a bit of it. Pleased to meet you, girls,” and he made pert bows to the three young ladies, who returned them with mere nods, for they expected to learn that the new arrival was a friend of Sid’s, however undesirable he might seem.
“How came you here? What do you want?” demanded Sid, and the hand that held the camera trembled.