"May I keep it?" he said in a low voice. "For my blue ribbon?
I know the conditions that attach."
"If you would--oh, if you would!" Meg breathed rather than said.
Then Judy galloped up and they rode home three abreast. It was
such happiness to her all the hot, long days that followed; to a
girl just entering life there can be no purer, deeper feeling of
pleasure than that brought by the knowledge that she is influencing
for good some man or woman older than herself, more sin-worn and
earth-wearied. Poor little Meg! Her tender rose dreams had
pictured her big _protege_ a man among men again, holding up his
head once more, taking his place in the world, going back to the
old country, and claiming the noble lady her fertile imagination
had pictured; waiting so patiently for him; and all this because
she, Meg Woolcot, had stepped into his life and pointed the way
he should go.
And then she went to swing in a hammock on the back veranda,
and all her castles came tumbling about her ears, dealing her sharp,
bitter blows. There was a thick creeper of passion-fruit vines
behind her, and through it she could hear Tettawonga talking to
the cook.
"Marse Gillet on the burst agen," he said, and chuckled through
the side of his lips where his pipe did not rest.
Pages:
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188