Doc. Gordon | Page 6

the impression of intense springiness and wiriness. Although

she was thin, no one could have called her delicate. She looked as much
alive as a flame, with nerves on the surface from head to heel. Her eyes
were blue, not large, but full of light, her hair, which tossed around her
face in a soft fluff, was ash-blonde. Brown was the last color,
theoretically, which she should have worn, but it suited her. The ash
and brown, the two neutral tints, served to bring out the blue fire of her
eyes and the intense red of her lips. However, her beauty lay not so
much in her regular features as in the wonderful flame-like quality
which animated them, and which they assumed when she spoke or
listened. In repose, her face was as neutral as a rock or dead leaf. It was
neither beautiful nor otherwise. When it was animated, it was as if the
rock gave out silver lights of mica and rosy crystal under strong light,
and as if the dead leaf leapt into flame. James thought her much prettier
than any of his sisters or their friends, but he was led quite
unknowingly into this opinion, because of his own position as her
protector. That made him realize his own male gorgeousness and
strength, and he really saw the girl with such complacency instead of
himself.
They walked along, and all at once he stopped short. Something
occurred to him, which, strange to say, had not occurred before. He was
not in the least cowardly. He was brave almost to foolhardiness. All at
once it occurred to him that he ought to follow the man.
"Good Lord!" said he and stopped.
"What is the matter?" asked the girl.
"Why, I must follow that man. He is a suspicious character. He ought
not to be left at large."
"I suppose you don't care if you leave me alone," said the girl
accusingly.
James stared at her doubtfully. There was that view of the situation.
"I am going to see my friend Annie Lipton, who lives in Westover.
There is half a mile of lonely road before I get there. That man, for all I

know, may be keeping sight of us in the woods over there. While you
are going back to chase him, he may come up with me. Well, run along
if you want to. I am not afraid." But the girl's lips quivered, and she
paled again.
James glanced at the stretch of road ahead. There was not a house in
sight. Woods were on one side, on the other was a rolling expanse of
meadowland covered with dried last year's grass, like coarse
oakum-colored hair.
"I think I had better keep on with you," James said.
"You can do exactly as you choose," the girl replied defiantly, but
tremulously. "I am not in the least dependent upon men to escort me. I
wander miles around by myself. This is the first time I have seemed to
be in the slightest danger. I dare say there was no danger this time, only
he came up behind like a cat, and--"
"He didn't say anything?"
"No, he didn't speak. He only tried to make me turn my head, so he
could see my face, and directly it seemed to me that I must die rather
than let him. He was trying to make me turn my head. I think maybe he
was an insane man."
"I will go on with you," said James.
They walked on for the half mile of which the girl had spoken. A
sudden shyness seemed to have come over both of them. Then they
began to come in sight of houses. "I am not afraid now," said the girl,
"but I do think you are very foolish if you go back alone and try to hunt
that man. Ten chances to one he is armed, and you haven't a thing to
defend yourself with, except that medicine-case."
"I have my fists," replied James indignantly.
"Fists don't count much against a revolver."

"Well, I am going to try," said James with emphasis.
"Good-by, then. You are treating me shamefully, though."
James stared at her in amazement. She was actually weeping, tears
were rolling over her cheeks.
"What do you mean?" said he. "Don't feel so badly."
"You can't be very quick-witted not to see. If you should meet that man,
and get killed, I should really be the one who killed you and not the
man."
"Why, no, you would not."
The girl stamped her foot. "Yes, I should, too," said she, half-sobbing.
"You would not have been killed except for me. You know you would
not."
She spoke as if she actually saw the young man dead before her, and
was indignant because of