With a parting shot from Jane, “Our room is better than our company,” the girls left Ruth to herself. Though Blanche had accompanied them, she had not once opened her lips. Stolidly mute, she had filled her cup, drunk a little water and pettishly thrown the remainder of it into the bushes. As she turned to leave the spring, she purposely dropped behind the others, followed them a few steps, then swung about and went back to Ruth.
Her eyes fixed on the nearly full pitcher, Ruth almost let it fall from her hands when a tense voice assailed her surprised ears: “You talked about me to Jane Pellew when we got out of the canoes! I saw you with your heads together. Then she looked right at me. What did you tell her? If you’ve said a word to her about—”
“I won’t answer your question.” The limit of Ruth’s endurance had been reached. “It’s not worthy of an answer.”
“Then I shall make Jane tell me what you said to her.”
A faintly scornful smile touched Ruth’s firm lips. Very deliberately she said: “You’re bent on quarreling with me, Blanche. I can see that. But as I don’t intend to quarrel with you, I think the less we have to say to each other the better it will be for us both. That’s all.”
Whirling, she set off through the woods, with as much speed as the carrying of the pitcher would permit. She could hear Blanche crashing along behind her, and, determined to escape further talk with her, Ruth quickened her steps. Having delivered her ultimatum, she would now stick to it. Torch Bearer or not, she would not tamely submit to being accused of having broken her word. Hurt pride whispered against it. She was glad she had spoken so plainly. She would not let herself feel sorry afterward, either. If, later, the others noticed the estrangement, she would not deny it. Blanche had forced it upon her. Hereafter, she could look out for herself. Ruth knew in her own heart that she could honestly hold herself blameless.
Blanche, however, was overcome with dismay as she stumbled her way back to the lake. Always fearful that Ruth might some day break her word, she this time knew she had been too ready to take her to task. Unconsciously judging Ruth’s standards of honor by her own, she reflected that Ruth would probably now break her promise, purely for spite.
Returned to the group of busy workers, her gaze wandered from one to another until it rested on Ruth. The latter’s calm face betrayed no hint of displeasure. She was talking gaily to Emmy and Marian as she poured a stream of water from the pitcher into the big coffee-pot.
“Here’s Blanche!” called out Sarah. “We didn’t miss you till we got back here. Ruth said you were coming along just behind her. Did you put those two boxes of cakes in your pack? We can’t find them.”
“Yes.” Picking up her pack from where she had deposited it on the ground, Blanche fumbled in it. “Here they are,” she said shortly. Without offering to assist in the preparations, she wandered aimlessly along the shore away from the party, brooding darkly upon her fancied wrong. So the girls had not even missed her. It simply went to show how wrapped up in themselves they were.