Page:Caroline Lockhart--The Fighting Shepherdess.djvu/213



. Her whole bearing was indicative of concentration, singleness of purpose and patience or, more strictly, a dogged endurance. These things Disston saw in his swift scrutiny before she recognized him.

She stopped abruptly, her eyes widened and her lips parted in astonishment.

"Hughie!" She went forward swiftly, her eyes shining with the glad welcome he remembered and all her old-time impetuosity of manner. Then she checked herself as suddenly. She did not withdraw the hand she had extended, but the smile froze on her lips and all the warmth went out of her greeting. She added formally, "I wasn't expecting to see any one I knew—you surprised me."

Wondering at her change of manner, he laughed as he shook hands with her.

"I hoped to—it's one of the things I've been looking forward to."

Beth Rathburn was looking, not at Kate, but at Disston, when he introduced them; she could not remember when she had seen him so animated, so genuinely glad.

"I've been enormously interested—however do you do it? " Miss Rathburn said in her cool drawl, while she studied Kate's face curiously.

"It's my business," Kate replied simply, regarding her with equal interest.

"And you live out here by yourself, without any other woman? Aren't you lonely? "

"I'm too busy."

"You work with the men—just like one of them?"

"Just like a man," Kate repeated evenly.

"It is quite—quite wonderful!" Beth subtly conveyed the impression that on the contrary she thought it was dreadful.