ks darkly flushed, and
her eyes strange and shining; a Judy to be reckoned with and admired and
feared--a new Judy.

"What's the matter? Are you crazy? What do you want?"

"Make them let him go. They've got to let him go."

"He's a paddy--Neil Donovan--a paddy."

"They've got to let him go.... Give that to me."

"What for? Judy, don't hurt me. Judy!"

Judith wasted no more words. She caught Rena's wrist, twisted it, and
snatched the lantern out of her hand. She held it high above her head,
and shook it recklessly.

"Don't, Judy! Don't!" The flame sputtered crazily. Judy still shook the
lantern, dancing out of reach, and laughing. "Nat--everybody--stop Judy.
She's making the lantern explode. Oh, Ed!"

Natalie heard, and then the others. They looked up at her, all of them.
Rena and Natalie screamed. Willard started toward her. "Put it down,
kid," he was calling.

"I'll put it down.... Now boy."

There he was, with Ed's arm gripping his shoulders. He did not give any
sign that he knew she was trying to help him, or that he wanted help. He
was not afraid of the lantern, like the others. His black eyes were
laughing at all of them--laughing at Judith, too. He was looking
straight at Judith.

"Now, boy," she called, "now run!" and she gripped the lantern tight,
swung it high, and dashed it to the ground.

It fell at the foot of the steps with a crash of breaking glass. The
light sputtered out. The air was full of the smell of spilled kerosene.
In the faint radiance that was not moonlight, but a glimmering
reflection of it, more confusing than darkness, dim figures struggled
and shrill voices were lifted.

"Get him. Hold him."

"Get the lantern."

"Get Judy."

"Hold him, Ed."

"That's me."

"Get him, Rena."

Judith laughed, and out of the dark he had come from, the dark of
May-night, lit by a wishing moon, that grants your secret wish for
better or for worse, irrevocably, a far-away laugh answered Judith's.
The boy was gone.

CHAPTER THREE

Miss Judith Devereux Randall was getting into her first evening gown.

The Green River High School football team was giving its annual
September concert and ball in Odd Fellows' Hall to-night. The occasion
was as important to the school as a coming-out party. The new junior
class, just graduated from seclusion upstairs to the big assembly room
where the seniors were, made its first public appearance in society
there. Judith was a junior now.

Her fi