Page:Steadfast Heart.djvu/256

 thinking—thinking, “And this is the boy they called jailbird and wouldn’t tolerate. This is the boy they wouldn’t let go to school with their children!” To Angus he said, “Come over to-night. We’ll thrash it out. Maybe the paper can help.”

Angus went out slowly. As he crossed the street he saw Lydia Canfield approaching. She saw him, stopped, and beckoned. He was surprised, for she had avoided him these many months. Her resolution not to see him, to speak with him, had been well kept, and now—one had to shrug one’s shoulders. Did she feel a confidence in herself, or had her resolution broken down? It was impossible to read Lydia as one reads a book.

“Angus,” she said abruptly, “I want you to go to Deal with me to-morrow.”

She took him by surprise, nonplussed him.

“Deal!” he said. “To-morrow!”

“Yes…. We'll take the early train and be back here at nine o’clock in the evening.”

“But—”

“I’m going. I’ve made up my mind…. It’s circus day. Three of the girls were going with me, and we were going to have heaps of fun. There’s never any fun here. We were going to take Mary Browning along for chaperon—and now she says she can’t go—and she says I