"It's
a bit warm here."
But they felt they must get back for dinner, now, though it evidently
cost Allyne something to decline.
"We will sometime meet again?" he questioned, as he clasped Hope's hand
and looked beseechingly into her eyes.
"Possibly," she returned, flushing slightly, then with a mischievous
glance, "But are you certain which of us you are speaking to? Have you
learned to distinguish us yet?"
"I have--perfectly!" was the tart response. "When the rose gives me a
taste of its thorns it is you; Miss Faith is never sarcastic."
"Indeed!"
"But,"--quickly--"I like thorns! They give zest to the loveliest rose."
"Come," admonished her father in a dry tone, "this glare and glitter
will give you a headache. It isn't healthy."
The girls somewhat slowly followed him in. The young men rode away.
In the heart of one was a deadly fear that, by one hour's foolishness,
he might have forfeited some privileges which had become most precious
in his sight of late. The other broke into his musings with a ruthless
word,
"The captain does not specially favor us, Tom."
"I am sure he treated us politely," was returned with some resentment.
"Yes, too politely. I wouldn't get foolish in that direction, my boy;
it won't work."
Tom Allyne did not answer, and his face was sober. But presently its
expression lightened. He recalled what Carnegie had said of the
captain's comment, after that dreadful night of fire and flood, and
took courage.
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