Page:Caroline Lockhart--The Fighting Shepherdess.djvu/217

 The girl at the fence cried aghast:

"Oh, what's she going to do?" Then she clutched Disston's arm and stared in fascinated horror while Kate ear-marked the sheep and released it.

"She's barbarous—horrible—impossible!"

"You brought it on yourself, Beth." he reminded her in a low tone. "You—goaded her."

"And you defend her?" she demanded, furiously. "Take me away from here—I'm nauseated!"

"I'll say good-bye—you go on, and I'll join you." He vaulted the fence and went up to Kate, who was going on with her work and ignoring them.

"Kate," he put out his hand, "I'm sorry." She disregarded it and turned upon him, her eyes blazing:

"Don't you bring any more velvet-pawed kittens here to sharpen their claws in me!"

"Kate," earnestly, "I wouldn't have been the means of hurting you for anything I can think of."

"I'm not hurt," she retorted, "I'm mad."

"I'm coming to see you again—alone, next time. I want to know why you did not answer my letters—I want to know lots of things—why you're so different—what has changed you so much."

"And you imagine I'll tell you?" she asked dryly.

"You wouldn't?"

She shrugged a shoulder. "I don't babble any longer."

"It's nothing to you whether I come or not?" "I'm very busy."

He looked at her for a moment in silence, then he held out his hand once more.

"I am disappointed in you!"

"Are you, Hughie?" she said indifferently, as she took his hand without warmth.