Jessup was now almost as white as his daughter. Her emotion kindled up a gleam of suspicion, which had hung about him in spite of himself, though he had left Richard Storms prostrate across the forest path for having inspired it.
"Ruth, has not d.i.c.k Storms told you to-night that both he and his father are getting impatient to have you at the farm?" he questioned, in a low voice.
"d.i.c.k--d.i.c.k Storms, father!"
"I ask you, Ruth. Has he been here, and did he tell you?"
"He was here, father," faltered the girl.
"And he asked you?"
"He asked me to be his wife," answered the girl, with a shudder.
"Well!"
"His wife at once; and you promised that he should not come until I was better prepared. Oh, father, it was cruel. He seemed to take it for granted that I must be whatever he wished."
"That was ill-timed; but d.i.c.k has been kept back, and he is so fond of you, Ruth."
"Fond of me? Of me? No, no! The thought is awful."
"It was his loving impatience that broke forth at the wrong time.
Nothing could be worse; but you were not very harsh with him, Ruth?"
"I could not help it, father, he was so rude."
"Hang the fellow! I hope he won"t get over the buffet I gave him in one while. The fool should have known better than treat my daughter with so little ceremony. She is of a daintier sort than he often mates with. He deserves all he has gotten from her and from me."
While these thoughts were troubling Jessup"s mind, Ruth stood before him with tears swelling under her eyelids, till the long, black lashes were heavy with them. They touched the father"s heart.
"Don"t fret, child. A few hasty words in answer to over rough wooing can easily be made up for. The young man was sorely put about; but I rated him soundly for coming here when I was away. He will think twice before he does it again."
"He must never do it again. Never--never!" cried Ruth, desperately.
"See to that, father. He never must."
"Ruth!"
"Oh, father, do not ask me ever to see this man again. I cannot--I cannot!"
"Hush, child--hush! It is only a quarrel, which must not break the compact of a lifetime. Till now, you and d.i.c.k have always been good friends."
"Have we? I don"t know. Not lately, I"m sure; and we never, never can be anything like friends again."
"Ruth!"
The girl lifted her great wild eyes to her father, and dropped them again. She was too much terrified for tears now.
"Ruth, was any person here to-night beyond d.i.c.k?"
The girl did not answer. She seemed turning to stone. Her silence irritated the poor man, who stood watching like a criminal for her reply. He spoke more sharply.
"Did you hear me, Ruth?"
"Yes, I hear."
"I asked if any one was here besides d.i.c.k?"
"Yes."
Jessup could hardly hear this little word as it dropped painfully from those white lips; but he understood it; and spoke again.
"Who was it, Ruth?"
"Young Mr. Hurst."
"He was here, then. What brought him?"
"He came--he came--"
"Well!"
"He did not tell me why he came, father. It was all too sudden; and he was very angry."
"Too sudden? Angry? How?"
"d.i.c.k Storms frightened me so, and Mr. Hurst saw it, just as he came in. I could have struck him myself, father!" cried the girl, and her pale face flamed up with a remembrance of the indignity offered her.
Jessup clenched his fist.
"Why, what did the young man do?"
"He would not believe that his offer was hateful to me, and--and acted as if I had said yes."
"I understand. The idiot! But he must have been drinking, Ruth."
"I don"t know, and I only hope you will never let him come here again."
"But he will be sorry, Ruth. You must not be too hard on the young fellow."
"Hard upon him? Oh, father!"
"He has had a tough lesson. But young Hurst--what did he do?"
"I can hardly tell you, it was so sudden and violent. All in a minute d.i.c.k was hurled against the wall, and through the door. Then there was a struggle, deep, hoa.r.s.e words, and d.i.c.k was gone."
"Was that all?"
"Yes, all that pa.s.sed between Mr. Hurst and d.i.c.k. There was no time for talking."