But matters came to a climax with Howard Letchworth before Allison had
any opportunity to do any "fixing."
The next afternoon was Class Day and there were big doings at the
college. Howard kept out of the way, for it was a day on which he had
counted much, and during the winter once or twice he and Leslie had
talked of it as a matter of course that they would be around together.
His Class Day had seemed then to be of so much importance to her--and
now--now she was going to attend it in Clive Terrence's company!
Terrence had told him so, and there seemed no reason to doubt his
word. She went everywhere with him, and he was their guest; why
shouldn't she? So Howard went glumly about his duties, keeping as much
as possible out of everyone's way. If he had not been a part of the
order of exercises, and a moving spirit of the day, as it were, he
would certainly have made up an excuse to absent himself. As it was,
he meditated trying to get some one else to take his place, and was on
his way to arrange it, just before the hour for the afternoon
exercises to begin, when suddenly he saw, coming up the wide asphalt
walk of the campus, young Terrence, and the girl who had come to be
known among them as the "Freshman Vamp." His eyes hastily scanned the
groups about, and searched the walk as far as he could see it, but
nowhere could he discover Leslie.
With a sudden impulse he dashed over to Julia Cloud, and forgetful of
his late estrangement spoke with much of his old eagerness; albeit
trying his best to appear careless and matter-of-fact:
"Isn't Leslie hereabouts somewhere, Miss Cloud? I believe I promised
to show her the ivy that our class is to plant."
It was the first excuse he could think of. But Julia Cloud was full
of sympathy and understanding, and only too glad to hear the old
ring of friendliness in his voice. She lowered her tone and spoke
confidentially:
"She wouldn't come, Howard: I don't just know what has taken her. She
said she would rather stay at home----"
"Is she down there now?"
Julia Cloud nodded.
"Perhaps you----"
"I _will_!" he said, and was off like a flash. On his way down the
campus he thrust some papers into a classmate's hands.
"If I don't get back in time, give those to Halsted and tell him to
look out for things. I'm called away."
Never in all his running days had he run as he did that day. He made
the station in four minutes where it usually took him six, and was at
the Cloud Villa in two more, all out of breath but radiant. Something
jubilant had been let loose in his heart by the smile in Julia Cloud's
eyes, utterly unreasonable, of course, but still it had come, and he
was entertaining it royally. It was rather disheartening to find the
front door locked and only Cherry to respond to his knock.
"Isn't Miss Leslie here?" he asked, a blank look coming into his eyes
as Cherry appeared.
"Miss Leslie done jes' skittered acrost de back yahd wid a paddle in
her han'. I reckum she's gone to de crick. Miss Jewel, she'll be
powerful upset ef she comes back an' finds out. She don't like Miss
Leslie go down to them canoes all by her lonesome."
"That's all right, Cherry," said Howard, cheering up; "I'll go down
and find her. Got an extra paddle anywhere, or did she take them
both?"
"No, sir, she only took de one. Here's t'other. I reckum she'll be
right glad to see yeh, Mas'r Howard. We-all hes missed you mighty
powerful lot. That there little fish-eyed lady-man wot is visitin' us
ain't no kind of substoote 'tall fer you----"
Howard beamed on her silently and was off like a shot, forgetful of
the chimes on the clock of the college, which were now striking the
hour at which he was to have led the procession down the ivy walk to
the scene of festivities.
Over two fences, across lots, down a steep, rocky hill, and he was at
the little landing where the Cloud canoe usually anchored. But Leslie
and her boat were gone. No glimpse of bright hair either up or down
stream gave hint of which she had taken, no ripple in the water even
to show where she had passed. But he knew pretty well her favorite
haunts up-stream where the hemlocks bowed and bent to the water, and
made dark shadows under which to slip. The silence and the beauty
called her as they had always called him. He was sure he would find
her there rather than down-stream where the crowds of inn people
played around, and the tennis courts overflowed into canoes and
dawdled about with ukeleles and cameras. He looked about for a means
of transport. There was only one canoe, well-chained to its rest. He
examined the padlock for a moment, then put forth his strong young arm
and jerked up the rest from its firm setting in the earth. It was the
work of a second to shoot the boat into the water, fling the chains,
boat-rest and all into the bow, and spring after. Long, strong, steady
strokes, and he shot out into the stream and away up beyond the
willows; around the turn where the chestnut grove bloomed in good
promise for the autumn; beyond the railroad bridge and the rocks; past
the first dipping hemlocks; around the curve; below the old camp where
they had had so many delightful picnics and watched the sunset from
the rocks; and on, up above the rapids. The current was swift to-day.
He wondered if Leslie had been able to pass them all alone, yet
somehow he felt she had and he would find her up in the quiet haven
where few ever came and where she would be undisturbed. Paddling
"Indian" he came around the curve silently and was almost upon her,
but was unprepared for the little huddled figure down in the bottom of
the boat, one hand grasping the paddle which was wedged between some
stones in the shallow stream bed to anchor the frail bark, the other
arm curved about as a pillow for the face which was hidden, with only
the bright hair gleaming in the stray rays of sunshine that crept
through the young leaves overhead.
"Leslie, little girl--my darling--what is the matter?"
He scarcely knew what he was saying, so anxiously he watched her. Was
she hurt or in trouble, and if so, what was the trouble? Did the vapid
little guest and the Freshman Vamp have anything to do with it?
Somehow he forgot all about himself now and his own grievance--he
only wanted to comfort her whom he loved, and it never entered his
head that just at that moment the anxious Halsted was inquiring of
everyone: "Haven't you seen Letchworth? Class Day'll be a mess without
him! Something must have happened to him!"
Leslie lifted a tear-stained face in startled amaze. His voice! Those
precious words! Leslie heard them even if _he_ took no cognizance of
them himself.
"I--you--WELL, YOU ought to know----!" burst forth Leslie and then
down went the bright head once more and the slender shoulders shook
with long-suppressed sobs.
It certainly was a good thing that the creek was shallow at that point
and the canoes quite used to all sorts of conditions. Howard
Letchworth waited for no invitation. He arose and stepped into
Leslie's boat, pinioned his own with a dextrous paddle, and gave
attention to comforting the princess. It somehow needed no words for
awhile, until at last Leslie lifted a woebegone face that already
looked half-appeased and inquired sobbily:
"What made you act so perfectly horrid all this time?"
"Why--I----" began Howard lamely, wondering now just why he _had_----!
"Why, you see, Leslie, you had company and----"
"Company! _That!_ Now, Howard, you weren't jealous of that little
excuse for a man, were you?"
Howard colored guiltily:
"Why, you see, Leslie, you are so far above me----"
"Oh, I was, was I? Well, if I was above _you_, where did you think
that other ridiculous little simp belonged, I should like to know?
_Not_ with _me_, I hope?"
"But you see, Leslie----" somehow the great question that had loomed
between them these weeks dwarfed and shrivelled when he tried to
explain it to Leslie----
"Well----?"
"Well, I've just found out you are very rich----"
"Well?"
"Well, _I'm_ POOR."
"But I thought you just said you _loved_ me!" flashed Leslie
indignantly. "If you do, I don't see what rich and poor matter. It'll
all belong to us both, won't it?"
"I should _hope_ not," said the young man, drawing himself up as much
as was consistent with life in a canoe. "I would _never_ let my wife
support me."
"Well, perhaps you might be able to make enough to _support
yourself_," twinkled Leslie with mischief in a dimple near her mouth.
"Leslie, now you're making fun! I mean this!"
"Well, what do you want me to do about it, give away my money?"
"Of course not. I was a cad and all that, but somehow it seemed as
though I hadn't any business to be coming around you when you were so
young and with plenty of chances of men worth more than I----"
"More what? More money?"
"Leslie, this is a serious matter with me----"
"Well, it is with me, too," said Leslie, suddenly grave. "You
certainly have made me most unhappy for about three weeks. But I'm
beginning to think you don't love me after all. What is money between
people who love each other? Only something that they can have a good
time spending for others, isn't it? And suppose _I_ should say I
wouldn't let _you support me_? I guess after all if you think so much
of money you don't really care!"
"Leslie!" Their eyes met and his suddenly fell before her steady,
beautiful gaze:
"Well, then, Howard Letchworth, if you are so awfully proud that you
have to be the richest, I'll throw away or give away all my money and
be a pauper, _so there_! Then will you be satisfied? What's money
without the one you love, anyway?"
"I see, Leslie! I was a fool. You darling, wonderful princess. No,
keep your money and I'll try to make some more and we'll have a
wonderful time helping others with it. I suppose I knew I was a fool
all the time, only I wanted to be told so, because you see that fellow
told me you and he had been set apart for each other by your
parents----!"
A sudden lurch of the canoe roused him to look at Leslie's face:
"Oh, that little--liar! Yes, he is! He is the meanest, conceitedest,
most disagreeable little snob----!"
"There, there! We'll spare him----" laughed Howard. "I see I was wrong
again, only, Leslie, little princess, there's one thing you must own
is true, you're very young yet and you may change----"
"Now, _I like that_!" cried Leslie. "You don't even think I have the
stability to be true to you. Well, if I'm as weak-looking as that you
better go and find someone else----"
But he stopped her words with his face against her lips, and his arms
about her, and at last she nestled against his shoulder and was at
peace.
Chiming out above the notes of the wood-robin and the thrush there
came the faint and distant notes of the quarter hour striking on the
college library. It was Leslie who heard it. Howard was still too far
upon the heights to think of earthly duties yet awhile.
"Howard! Isn't this your Class Day? And haven't you a part in the
exercises? Why aren't you there?"
He turned with startled eyes, and rising color.
"I couldn't stay, Leslie. I was too miserable! I had to come after
you. You promised to be with me to-day, you know----"
"But your Class Poem, Howard! Quick! It must be almost time to read
it----!"
He took out his watch.
"Great Scott! I didn't know the time had gone like that!"
Leslie's fingers were already at work with the other canoe, tying its
chain to the seat of her own.
"Now!" she turned and picked up her paddle swiftly, handing Howard the
other one. "Go! For all your worth! You mustn't fail on this day
anyway! Beat it with all your might!"
"It's too late!" said the man reluctantly, taking the paddle and
moving to his right position.
"It's not too late. It _shan't_ be too late! _Paddle_, I say, _now_,
ONE--and--TWO--and----!"
And they settled to a rhythmic stroke.
"It was so wonderful back there, Leslie," said Howard wistfully. "We
oughtn't to let anything interfere with this first hour together."
"This isn't interfering," said Leslie practically, "it's just duty,
and that never interferes. Here, we'll land over there and you beat it
up the hill! I'll padlock the boats by that old tree and follow, but
_don't you dare_ wait for me! I'll be there to hear the first word and
they'll have waited for you, I know. A little to the right,
there--_now_--step out and _beat it_!"
He obeyed her, and presently came panting to the audience room, with a
fine color, and a great light in his eyes, just as Halsted was
slipping down to inquire of Allison:
"Where in thunder is Letchworth? Seen him anywhere?"
"Heavens, man! Hasn't he showed up yet?" cried Allison startled.
"Where could he be?"
Julia Cloud beside him leaned over and quietly drew their attention to
the figure hastening up the aisle. Halsted hurried back to the
platform, and Allison, relieved, settled once more in his seat. But
Julia Cloud rested not in satisfaction until another figure
breathlessly slipped in with eyes for none but the speaker.
Then into the eyes of Julia Cloud there came a vision as comes to one
who watching the glorious setting of the sun sees not the regretful
close of the day that is past, but the golden promise of the day that
is to come.