ket a paper Mr. McFarland had
given him. "No?" he said smoothly, as if quite unperturbed. "And why
not?"

At that uncaring manner something seemed to break inside Ted's head, as
if all the things Cyrus had said about Ruth had suddenly gathered there
and pressed too hard. His arm shot out at his brother.

"That's why not!" he cried.

He had knocked Cyrus back against the wall and stood there threatening
him. To the minister, who had stepped up, protesting, he snapped: "None
of _your_ put-in! And after this, just be a little more careful in
_your_ talk--see?"

He stepped back from Cyrus but stood there glaring, breathing hard with
anger. Cyrus, whose face had gone white, but who was calm, went back to
the table and resumed what he had been doing there.

"A creditable performance, I must say, for the day of your father's
funeral," he remarked after a moment.

"That's all right!" retorted Ted. "Don't think I'm sorry! I don't know
any better way to start out new--start out alone--than to tell you what
I think of you!--let you know that I'll not take a thing off of you
about Ruth. You've done enough, Cy. Now you quit. You kept mother and
father away when they didn't want to be kept away--and I want to tell
you that I'm _on_ to you, anyway. Don't think for a minute that I
believe it's your great virtue that's hurting you. You can't put that
over on me. It's pride and stubbornness and just plain meanness makes
you the way you are! Yes, I'm glad to have a chance to tell you what I
think of you--and then I'm through with you, Cy. I think you're a
pin-head! Why, you haven't got the heart of a flea! I don't know how
anybody as fine as Ruth ever came to have a brother like you!"

His feeling had grown as he spoke, and he stopped now because he was too
close to losing control; he reddened as his brother--calm, apparently
unmoved--surveyed him as if mildly amused. That way Cyrus looked at him
when they were quarrelling always enraged him. If he would only _say_
something--not stand there as if he were too superior to bother himself
with such a thing! He knew Cyrus knew it maddened him--that that was why
he did it, and so it was quietly that he resumed: "No, Cy, I'm not with
you, and you might as well know it. I'm for Ruth. You've got the world
on your side--and I know the arguments you can put up, and all that, but
Ruth's got a--" he fumbled a minute for the words--"Ruth's got a power
and an understanding about her that you'll