. "When you get a line
you like you stick to it, don't you?"

* * * * *

Down at the boathouse even Tessie, who had confessed ignorance of boats
and oars, knew that Ballou was fumbling clumsily. He stooped to adjust
the oars to the oarlocks. His hat was off. His hair looked very gray in
the cruel spring sunshine. He straightened and smiled up at her.

"Ready in a minute, sweetheart," he said. He took off his collar and
turned in the neckband of his shirt. His skin was very white. Tessie
felt a little shudder of disgust sweep over her, so that she stumbled a
little as she stepped into the boat.

The river was very lovely. Tessie trailed her fingers in the water and
told herself that she was having a grand time. She told Nap the same
when he asked her.

"Having a good time, little beauty?" he said. He was puffing a little
with the unwonted exercise. Alcohol-atrophied muscles do not take kindly
to rowing.

Tessie tried some of her old-time pertness of speech. "Oh, good enough,
considerin' the company."

He laughed, admiringly, at that and said she was a card.

When the early evening came on they made a clumsy landing and had
supper. This time Nap fed her the titbits, though she protested. "White
meat for you," he said, "with your skin like milk."

"You must of read that in a book," scoffed Tessie. She glanced around
her at the deepening shadows. "We haven't got much time. It gets dark so
early."

"No hurry," Nap assured her. He went on eating in a leisurely, finicking
sort of way, though he consumed very little food actually.

"You're not eating much," Tessie said once, half-heartedly. She decided
that she wasn't having such a very grand time, after all, and that she
hated his teeth, which were very bad. Now, Chuck's strong, white double
row ...

"Well," she said, "let's be going."

"No hurry," again.

Tessie looked up at that with the instinctive fear of her kind. "What
d'you mean, no hurry! 'Spect to stay here till dark?" She laughed at her
own joke.

"Yes."

She got up then, the blood in her face. "Well, I don't."

He rose, too. "Why not?"

"Because I don't, that's why." She stooped and began picking up the
remnants of the lunch, placing spoons and glass bottles swiftly and
thriftily in the lunch box. Nap stepped around behind her.

"Let me help," he said. And then his arm was about her and his face was
close to hers, and Tessie did not like it. He kissed her afte