"Here," he said, extending the watch to Derrice as he crawled up to brightness. "It's pretty well battered, but you can have it mended. Don't wear it in such a mighty careless place again."
She thanked him fervently, lent him her handkerchief to tie around one of his bleeding hands, and then accompanied him back to the wood.
As soon as they entered the gates they saw Miss Gastonguay coming to meet them. Her surprised glance went from one to the other. Derrice was torn and dishevelled, and her hair was tumbling about her shoulders; while Captain White was decidedly battered in appearance, and added a slight limp to his usual gait.
"Have you been in a fight?" she asked.
"No, no," laughed Derrice, "first in a spruce, then in a bramble thicket, and afterward Captain White went down a well. See how his hands are bleeding,—and oh, let me tell you about my watch."
Miss Gastonguay listened in silence to the tale of the misadventure; then she handed the bruised ornament back to Derrice and remarked, "You say your father gave it to you?"
"Yes, my dear, dear father."
"Let me have it when you have finished exhibiting it, and I will send it to my jeweller in Bangor."
"Thank you, thank you," said Derrice, squeezing her hand. "And now may I run on to tell Justin?"
"Certainly," said Miss Gastonguay, shortly. "You will find him in the gazeebo."