“I don’t know as I like the tom-boy idea,” continued Jerry. “She’s very pretty just as she is.”
Ted laughed knowingly. “You’re the boy who pulls down the shades rather than say ‘no’ to the peddlers,” she reminded him. “It is easy to understand why you are opposing the Scouts.”
He adjusted his tripod and seemed to have found something very absorbing at that moment. Nevertheless, his big shoulders shook, and his curly head wagged a little suspiciously.
They were surveying the end of a big strip of woodland. All over the young forest could be seen the yellow stripes that marked the trees that were to be spared, while those unmarked were doomed for the woodman’s ax. Birds liked the yellow-banded trees best, to judge from the perches they made upon such, but of course, they could not have known that the other, not so fortunate, needed their musical sympathy to make less gloomy the approaching execution.
“See! Just see!” Nora called, running back from the wild grape-vine cave. “Do come over and see this—little play house. It’s perfect as can be, with vine draperies, and moss carpet, and real wild-rose decoration. Cap led me to it, I guess it’s his secret place.” She was panting with sheer joy. The woods were new to the girl from the boarding school, where walks were confined to the limits of neuritis and neuralgia as “enjoyed” by the Baily Sisters.
“Cap’ll show you,” replied Jerry. “He has nothing to do but hunt while Ted and I work for our living.”
“Oh, could I help?” Nora felt like an intruder upon their industry.
“Not just today, but pretty soon. Perhaps the day after.” This was another of Jerry’s characteristic replies. Nora understood them better now.
“But it is real fun—fun to look through that spy glass. Do you have cobwebs in there?”
Asking this brought back to her mind the cobweb nest in the attic. Jerry’s reply, however, forestalled further reflection in that direction at the moment.