break up had come, and at its close on this night the young people departed, with many appreciations of the fun they had had. You could hear them as they rode away in different directions, whistling, laughing, and singing. When the Marshalls were gathered in the house, Charlie suddenly burst out in laughter. "Dick is a dandy!" said he between his convulsions. "I didn't believe any of the boys had grit enough to kiss you, Kate." "He is a hateful, ill-mannered clodhopper!" Kate burst out hotly. "No gentleman would play such games, much less kiss a lady when he was disgusting to her." "Oho, Kate! You were not brought up out here. You'll get so you'll like it after awhile. Dick did it so quick that I hardly knew what was up until it was all over." And Charlie went off again at the courage of his friend. This was more than the excited nerves of Kate could stand and she left the room with the words, "I hate him!" Soon she was disgusted with herself that she had permitted the boorish act of a country clown to worry her so. What did she care? Why should it make her wretched? She had noticed Richard's embarrassment at the introduction and knew that he had felt her attitude of superiority. "He is evidently independent, though a boor," she thought to herself. "Is it possible that he kissed me just to show me that he understood my feelings? If I meet him again I will treat him with distant courtesy and he shall not know how disturbed I have been." Richard had quietly slipped away soon after the incident and mounted his horse for home. He hated the proud visitor and was disgusted with himself that he had not deliberately passed her by after she had insulted him in the introduction. The matter was settled as far as he was concerned. If he met her again, he would greet her with cool courtesy, as if nothing had happened. But the matter was not so easily dismissed. He rolled and tossed in bed that night and the stranger was in his mind. Toward morning he fell asleep and in his dreams he was at another paring bee and lived again the incident of that night, only this time their lips met in a passionate kiss. He awoke with a start and chided himself at this nonsense and the disgust at the assumption of superior merit rankled again in his heart. |