on sleeping? Sit down and be at home."

With this she calmly turned her back again and seemed thoroughly
disposed to carry out her word. Red Pierre flushed a little, watching
her, and he spoke his anger outright: "You're acting like a sulky kid,
Jack, not like a man."

It was a habit of his to forget that she was a woman. Without turning
her head she answered: "Do you want to know why?"

"You're like a cat showing your claws. Go on! Tell me what the reason
is."

"Because I get tired of you."

In all his life he had never been so scorned. He did not see the
covert grin of Wilbur in the background. He blurted: "Tired?"

"Awfully. You don't mind me being frank, do you, Pierre?"

He could only stammer: "Sometimes I wish to God you were a man, Jack!"

"You don't often remember that I'm a woman."

"What do you mean by that?"

She was silent, but there was a perceptible tremor in the graceful body.

He repeated: "Do you mean that I'm rude or rough with you, Jacqueline?"

Still the silence, but Wilbur was grinning broader than ever. "Answer
me!"

She started up and faced him, her face convulsed with rage.

"What do you want me to say? Yes, you are rude--I hate you and your
lot. Go away from me; I don't want you; I hate you all."

And she would have said more, but furious sobs swelled her throat and
she could not speak, but dropped, face down, on the bunk and gripped
the blankets in each hard-set hand. Over her Pierre leaned, utterly
bewildered, found nothing that he could say, and then turned and
strode, frowning, from the room. Wilbur hastened after him and caught
him just as the door was closing.

"Come back," he pleaded. "This is the best game I've ever seen. Come
back, Pierre! You've made a wonderful start."

Pierre le Rouge shook off the detaining hand and glared up at Wilbur.

"Don't try irony, Dick. I feel like murder. Think of it! All this
time she's been hating me; and now it's making her weep; think of
it--Jack--weeping!"

"Why, you're a child, Pierre. Go back and take her in your arms and
tell her you're going to make her go to the dance."

"Take her in my arms? She'd stab me, there's that much of the devil in
her. Don't grin at me and keep chuckling like an utter ass. What's
up, Dick?"

"Don't you see? No, you don't, but it's so plain that a baby of three
years could understand. She's in love with you."

"With me?"

"With Red Pierre."

"You can't make a joke o