“We’ll be wondering what you are doing to-morrow, this time,” remarked Polly, apropos of her mother’s saying that the place would seem deserted after the young folks had gone.
“Tom will be able to keep us informed upon those points,” was Mr. Alexander’s reply. “He is well-acquainted with the ranch-rule, and all we have to do, when we need information, will be to ask him what time the folks do this, or what are the home-people doing now.”
Polly looked surprised and failed to grasp Mr. Alexander’s meaning. Eleanor must have sensed it, however, for she quickly exclaimed: “Will Tom be sitting at a radio-instrument, or does he carry a pocket-telephone around with him, that he can answer the moment we wish to call him up?” She laughed, but her words showed she wished to be given a cue to Mr. Alexander’s speech.
“Why, no! Tom will be right beside you to reply, if you are kind enough to permit it,” explained Mr. Dalken.
“Tom! You don’t mean he is going with us, do you?” asked Polly, too amazed to disguise her annoyance.
At this tone, Tom forgot Anne’s wise admonitions and flared up in anger. “Yes, I am! I find that every one but you seems anxious to have my company on this excursion, because they understand that I am of some value to them. However, that need not interfere with your happiness,—I’ll take mighty good care not to come within ten rods of you, when it can be helped!” Polly was so astonished at Tom’s irritation and his words that she stared at him in silence. Eleanor almost laughed outright at the expression upon her chum’s face.
Jack mumbled something about “The worm hath turned,” and Mrs. Courtney gave him a vicious dig in the ribs to silence him. Then she whispered behind Polly’s back: “You’ll go and ruin everything, you rascal!”
Tom now got up and, saying “Good-night,” stalked from the room. No one saw him again that evening, and in the early morning, when the heavy wagon drew up to the steps for the visitors, Tom was already seated beside Jeb. It developed, then, that he had said good-by to the Brewster family before the Dalken party had appeared for breakfast.
During the long drive over the trails which led to Oak Creek, Tom devoted his attention to Jeb. When the wagon pulled up at the horse-trough near the station, Tom shook hands with Jeb and sprang down to assist Mrs. Courtney in alighting. Then he escorted her to the platform and stood conversing with her until the local steamed into the station. He had not spoken a word to Polly since the previous evening.
In the train, he seated himself beside Mrs. Courtney and entertained her with accounts of the tremendous undertaking of safely mining the gold ore from Choko’s Find on Grizzly Slide. In fact, so well did he fulfill his part, that that lady voted him one of the most intelligent and courteous young men she had ever met. At the same time she could not understand how Polly Brewster could help loving Tom with all her heart. He was handsome, well-bred, highly educated, and had all the money a girl might crave—and best of all, he had loved her with the earnestness, persistence, and whole-mindedness of his one-track heart.