“Oh, of course. There, you see, I would have blurted out the whole fantastic story and perhaps made a mortal enemy of the picturesque Jack. After all, Trixy, I am country and green, don’t you think so?”
“Have it your own way,” replied Trixy with a light laugh. “I don’t intend to go on forever telling you what a darling you are.”
But she looked as if she might go on doing so for quite a while longer.
CHAPTER VIII
ALMOST A TRAGEDY
An unusual amount of school work filled the day beyond possibility of moods, broods or other tantrums. Gloria was not so temperamental as to neglect her work for “blues,” whatever the cause or however deep the shade. She was no baby, and was too proud to do otherwise than very well in any school records.
There were, reasonably enough, many spots unfinished in her preparatory work, for Barbend, like other country schools, embraced only such work as seemed to afford the best opportunities for the largest number, and few there were who prepared for high class boarding schools. Thus Gloria now found herself filling in many recreational hours with special tutors in sheltered corners of gloomy rooms. All of which added to her growing uneasiness, for Gloria was the type that loves to soar, like the butterfly, but a single prick in a delicate wing is sure to bring down the joy bird.
Yet Jack’s rough rider adventure promised a thrill. Lessons would be disposed of as quickly as their importance would allow, and then Gloria would, first look for Pat and then, perhaps, they both might look for the romantic rider of the mountain trail.
The prospect whipped up Gloria’s lagging spirits to the bubbling point. She sensed mystery, she hoped for a real lark, somehow all the restraint of Altmount seemed mere atmosphere in the secret contemplation of that one, fearless girl, with that handsome young man and the “Steppy,” possibly with all the fairy tale attributes of horrid gray hair, a witch’s face, a crone’s raspy voice and everything! How perfectly delicious! A story fit for any one, even the insatiable Pat. So it was that all day, in spite of the extra drill preparing for tests, Gloria involuntarily made pictures of Jacquinot Corday, the girl bareback rider, champion circus performer, etc.
“Just imagine Jean and her crowd actually associating with a circus rider,” she ruminated. “And wouldn’t Pat howl gleefully!”