"Good-night!" laughed Roy. "No more soldier's honor for you! Hey, Tomasso? You've had enough of it."
Indeed he had had altogether too much of it. But his embarrassment passed as the bulk of the crowd, not involved in this surprising turn of affairs, took its way homeward, leaving the scouts and a few others in the hall. And soon things worked around so that Roscoe saw Tom alone. Not altogether alone, either, for Margaret Ellison was with him. How Roy and Pee-wee chanced to miss this I do not know.
The girl said very little, but stared at him until at last he said, "Are you looking at that scar? It don't look good, but it'll go away, I guess."
"How did you get it?" she asked.
"He gave his place to another man," said Roscoe, "and was dumped into the ocean alone."
"A chunk of wood banged me in the forehead," said Tom simply.
"Tom, I want you to do me a favor," said Roscoe, while Margaret continued to gaze at him. "It's a terribly impolite thing to suggest, but if you'd be willing to walk over to East Bridgeboro with Margaret, I could go home and get my things together. I'm afraid I'll miss the only train. You come to my house afterward and go to the train with me. You don't mind, do you, Marge? He'll protect you from the lions and tigers."
If she minded she didn't show it.
"I—ain't dressed up," said Tom awkwardly.
"I'm so glad of that!" she said.