ring the door
swiftly, he knew something was wrong and he rose to meet her.

"Dave's here," she whispered hurriedly, "an' he says he's come to take
me home."

"Well," said Hale, "he won't do it, will he?" June shook her head and
then she said significantly:

"Dave's drinkin'."

Hale's brow clouded. Straightway he foresaw trouble--but he said
cheerily:

"All right. You go back and keep in the house and I'll be over by and
by and we'll talk it over." And, without another word, she went. She had
meant to put on her new dress and her new shoes and stockings that night
that Hale might see her--but she was in doubt about doing it when she
got to her room. She tried to study her lessons for the next day, but
she couldn't fix her mind on them. She wondered if Dave might not get
into a fight or, perhaps, he would get so drunk that he would go
to sleep somewhere--she knew that men did that after drinking very
much--and, anyhow, he would not bother her until next morning, and then
he would be sober and would go quietly back home. She was so comforted
that she got to thinking about the hair of the girl who sat in front of
her at school. It was plaited and she had studied just how it was done
and she began to wonder whether she could fix her own that way. So
she got in front of the mirror and loosened hers in a mass about her
shoulders--the mass that was to Hale like the golden bronze of a wild
turkey's wing. The other girl's plaits were the same size, so that the
hair had to be equally divided--thus she argued to herself--but how did
that girl manage to plait it behind her back? She did it in front, of
course, so June divided the bronze heap behind her and pulled one half
of it in front of her and then for a moment she was helpless. Then
she laughed--it must be done like the grass-blades and strings she had
plaited for Bub, of course, so, dividing that half into three parts, she
did the plaiting swiftly and easily. When it was finished she looked at
the braid, much pleased--for it hung below her waist and was much longer
than any of the other girls' at school. The transition was easy now, so
interested had she become. She got out her tan shoes and stockings
and the pretty white dress and put them on. The millpond was dark with
shadows now, and she went down the stairs and out to the gate just as
Dave again pulled up in front of it. He stared at the vision wonderingly
and long, and then he began to laugh with the scorn of sobe