Frances answered with a discreet pressure of Sarah’s arm. Her roving eyes had glimpsed Blanche descending the last step of the stairway. The forbidding expression of the latter’s face quite bore out Sarah’s theory. Seated beside Miss Drexal at the table, she received the news of the arrival of the guide with marked indifference. Her sole disgruntled comment was, “I have always heard that Indians are thieves and not to be trusted.”
“Then Blue Wolf is the great exception,” laughed Ruth. “He looks too proud and splendid for that. Emmy and I were taking sly peeps at him all the time we were in the kitchen. He never noticed us, though.”
“Really, I am surprised.” Blanche lifted satiric eye-brows. “I am sure I hope you won’t be disappointed in him.”
“No danger of that.” Ruth forced herself to ignore the spitefulness of the speech, replying to it as pleasantly as though Blanche had paid her a compliment. “Is there, Miss Drexal?” she appealed smilingly to her hostess.
An almost imperceptible shade of displeasure crossed Miss Drexal’s fine face. Blanche’s frequent stabs at Ruth during the past few days had not been lost on her. “None whatever,” she assured with a placidity that nevertheless contained a hint of the authoritative. “Blanche’s statement that Indians have a reputation for thieving is quite correct, however. Almost anyone living up here will tell you that. But, as Ruth says, Blue Wolf is indeed the ‘great exception.’”
Finding herself politely worsted, Blanche relapsed into moody silence. Nor did anyone at the table attempt to draw her into the merry talk, which her sarcastic fling at Ruth had halted for a moment. Dinner over, she rose with the others, but did not go with them into the living room to meet the quaint guest. Instead, she made a bee-line for the stairs. Called to the kitchen by Martha, Miss Drexal was unaware of this fact until, a little later, Blue Wolf in tow, she entered the living room. In the midst of introducing him to those of her flock who had yet to make his acquaintance, she discovered that Blanche was missing.
“Where is Blanche?” she inquired.
“I saw her go upstairs.” It was Marian who answered. “Shall I—”
“I’ll go and get her.” Ruth darted from the room and up the stairs. All in an instant she had decided that she had something to say to Blanche. Arriving at her door which stood slightly ajar, she knocked. “Who is there?” challenged a pettish voice.
For answer, Ruth swung open the door and boldly entered. “I came to tell you that Miss Drexal would like you to join us in the living room,” she announced. “She wants you to meet Blue Wolf.”