over at Mrs. Stuvic's to-night, and they told me to come over and tell
you to be sure and come."

CHAPTER IX.

IN THE OLD WOMAN'S PARLOR.

It was clearly an insult to ask him to come. They had slandered him, and
now they wanted him at their entertainment. He told the boy to tell them
that he would not be there. He plowed during the afternoon, with never a
look toward the house when he turned at the end of a row. He hoped that
they expected him; he would smack his lips over the vicious joy of
disappointing them. The invitation had, no doubt, come from Mrs.
Blakemore; Miss Strand could have had no hand in it. She did not care
enough for him to wish for his company. But it made no difference who
did the inviting, he would not go. He went home tired, and was sleepy at
the supper table. He took down his pipe and lighted it. Mitchell talked
about the woman whose freckles were as gold to him. He had found a
valuable rod and reel in the rushes; he would sell them and buy a
divorce.

"If you take my advice," said Milford, "you'll let the women alone."

"But a feller that's in love can't take advice."

"Love!" Milford sneered. "You in love?"

"That's what. Fell in love about a quarter to two, last Sunday was a
week. What are you doin' with that boiled shirt lyin' out there? Goin'
to put it on?"

"I don't know. Is there any water in the rain barrel?"

"Ought to be if it hain't leaked out; poured in there last night. Goin'
to take a bath?"

"Don't suppose I want to drink out of the rain barrel, do you?"

"Didn't know; no tellin' much what a feller'll do. But it hits me that
when a man begins to take baths he's sorter in love himself, now that
we're on that subject."

"Well, I don't have to get a divorce."

"That don't sound like you, Bill. Don't believe I'd gouge you that way."

Milford's dark countenance flushed; he made a noise in his throat. He
held out his hand, and in a gentle voice said: "I beg your pardon.
Shake."

"You've said enough," Mitchell replied, shaking hands with him. "All
that a son of old Illinois needs is that sort of play, and he's done.
Goin' somewhere to-night?"

"No; thought I'd put on clean clothes and walk about in the woods."

He dressed himself and walked down by the lake. He heard the merry
splashings of moonlight bathers, the hound-like baying of the bull
frogs, far away in the rushes. He picked his way over a barbed-wire
fence, and went into the thick woods where the clos