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〃We'll　be　married　again；　and　do　the　gossips　out　of　a　sensation；〃　he　said。　　Though　she　was　not　looking　at　him；　his　eyes　shifted　from　her　face　as　he　added　in　a　voice　which　at　another　time　she　might　have　thought　strained：　　〃Then；　too；　your　father　and　mother　and　mine　are　so　strait…lacedit'd　give　'em　a　terrible　jar　to　find　out。　　You're　a　good　deal　like　them；　Pollyonly　in　a　modern　sort　of　way。〃

Pauline　flushed　scarlet　and　compressed　her　lips。　　She　said　presently：　　〃You're　sure　you　wish　it？〃

〃Wish　what？〃

〃To　marry　me。　　Sometimes　I've　thought　we're　both　too　young；　that　we　might　wait〃

He　put　his　arm　round　her　with　an　air　of　proud　possession。　　〃What'd　be　the　sense　in　that？〃　he　demanded　gaily。　　〃Aren't　you　MINE？〃

And　again　she　flushed　and　lowered　her　eyes　and　compressed　her　lips。　　Then　she　astonished　him　by　flinging　her　arms　round　his　neck　and　kissing　him　hysterically。　　〃But　I　DO　love　you！〃　she　exclaimed。　　〃I　do！　I　DO！〃



IX。

A　THOROUGHBRED　RUNS　AWAY。


It　was　midday　six　weeks　later；　and　Pauline　and　Dumont　were　landing　at　Liverpool；　when　Scarborough　read　in　the　college…news　column　of　the　Battle　Field　Banner　that　she　had　〃married　the　only　son　of　Henry　Dumont；　of　Saint　Christopher；　one　of　the　richest　men　in　our　state；　and　has　departed　for　an　extended　foreign　tour。〃　　Oliviaand　Pierson　naturallyhad　known；　but　neither　had　had　the　courage　to　tell　him。

Scarborough　was　in　Pierson's　room。　　He　lowered　the　paper　from　in　front　of　his　face　after　a　few　minutes。

〃I　see　Pauline　has　married　and　gone　abroad；〃　he　said。

〃Yes；　so　I　heard　from　Olivia；〃　replied　Pierson；　avoiding　Scarborough's　eyes。

〃Why　didn't　you　tell　me？〃　continued　Scarborough；　tranquil　so　far　as　Pierson　could　judge。　　〃I'd　have　liked　to　send　her　a　note。〃

Pierson　was　silent。

〃I　thought　it　would　cut　him　horribly；〃　he　was　thinking。　　〃And　he's　taking　it　as　if　he　had　only　a　friendly　interest。〃　　Scarborough's　face　was　again　behind　the　newspaper。　　When　he　had　finished　it　he　sauntered　toward　the　door。　　He　paused　there　to　glance　idly　at　the　titles　of　the　top　row　in　the　book…case。　　Pierson　was　watching　him。　　〃Noit's　all　right；〃　he　concluded。　　Scarborough　was　too　straight　and　calm　just　to　have　received　such　a　blow　as　that　news　would　have　been　had　HE　cared　for　Pauline。　　Pierson　liked　his　look　better　than　ever　beforethe　tall；　powerful　figure；　the　fair　hair　growing　above　his　wide　and　lofty　brow；　with　the　one　defiant　lock；　and　in　his　aquiline　nose　and　blue…gray　eyes　and　almost　perfect　mouth　and　chin　the　stamp　of　one　who　would　move　forward　irresistibly；　moving　others　to　his　will。

〃How　old　are　you；　Scarborough？〃　he　asked。

〃Twenty…three…nearly　twenty…four。　　I　ought　to　be　ashamed　to　be　only　a　freshman；　oughtn't　I？〃　　He　shrugged　his　shoulders。　　〃I'm　tired　of　it　all。〃　　And　he　strolled　out。

He　avoided　Pierson　and　Olivia　and　all　his　friends　for　several　days；　went　much　into　the　woods　alone；　took　long　walks　at　night。　　Olivia　would　have　it　that　he　had　been　hard　hit；　and　almost　convinced　Pierson。

〃He's　the　sort　of　person　that　suffers　the　most；〃　she　said。　　〃I've　a　brother　like　himwon't　have　sympathy；　keeps　a　wound　covered　up　so　that　it　can't　heal。〃

〃But　what　shall　I　do　for　him？〃　asked　Pierson。

〃Don't　do　anythinghe'd　hate　you　if　you　did。〃

After　a　week　or　ten　days　he　called　on　Pierson　and；　seating　himself　at　the　table；　began　to　shuffle　a　pack　of　cards。　　He　looked　tired。

〃I　never　saw　cards　until　I　was　fifteen；〃　he　said。

〃At　home　they　thought　them　one　of　the　devil's　worst　deviceswe　had　a　real　devil　in　our　house。〃

〃So　did　we；〃　said　Pierson。

〃But　not　a　rip…snorter　like　oursthey　don't　have　him　in　cities；　or　even　in　towns；　any　more。　　I've　seen　ours　lots　of　times　after　the　lights　were　outsaw　him　long　after　I'd　convinced　myself　in　daylight　that　he　didn't　exist。　　But　I　never　saw　him　so　close　as　the　night　of　the　day　I　learned　to　play　casino。〃

〃Did　you　learn　in　the　stable？〃　asked　Pierson。

〃That's　where　I　learned；　and　mother　slipped　up　behind　meI　didn't　know　what　was　coming　till　I　saw　the　look　in　the　other　boy's　face。　　Then〃　Pierson　left　the　rest　to　imagination。

〃I　learned　in　the　hay…loftmy　sister　and　my　cousin　Ed　and　I。　　One　of　the　farm…hands　taught　us。　　The　cards　were　so　stained　we　could　hardly　see　the　faces。　　That　made　them　look　the　more　devilish。　　And　a　thunder…storm　came　up　and　the　lightning　struck　a　tree　a　few　rods　from　the　barn。〃

〃Horrible！〃　exclaimed　Pierson。　　〃I'll　bet　you　fell　to　praying。〃

〃Not　I。　　I'd　just　finished　Tom　Paine's　Age　of　Reasona　preacher's　son　down　the　pike　stole　it　from　a　locked　closet　in　his　father's　library　and　loaned　it　to　me。　　But　I'll　admit　the　thunderbolt　staggered　me。　　I　said　to　thempretty　shakily；　I　guess：　　‘Come　on；　let's　begin　again。'　　But　the　farm…hand　said：　　‘I　reckon　I'll　get　on　the　safe　side；'　and　began　to　prayhow　he　roared！　　And　I　laughedhow　wicked　and　reckless　and　brave　that　laugh　did　sound　to　me。　　'Bella　and　Ed　didn't　know　which　to　be　more　afraid　ofmy　ridicule　or　the　lightning。　　They　compromisedthey　didn't　pray　and　they　didn't　play。〃

〃And　so　you've　never　touched　a　card　since。〃

〃We　played　again　the　next　afternoonlet's　have　a　game　of　poker。　　I'm　bored　to　death　today。〃

This　was　Scarborough's　first　move　toward　the　fast　set　of　which　Pierson　was　leader。　　It　was　a　small　fast　setthere　were　not　many　spoiled　sons　at　Battle　Field。　　But　its　pace　was　rapid；　for　every　member　of　it　had　a　constitution　that　was　a　huge　reservoir　of　animal　spirits　and　western　energy。　　They　〃cribbed〃　their　way　through　recitations　and　examinationsas　the　faculty　did　not　put　the　students　on　honor　but　watched　them；　they　reasoned　that　cribbing　was　not　dishonorable　provided　one　did　barely　enough　of　it　to　pull　him　through。　　They　drank　a　great　dealusually　whisky；　which　they　disliked　but　poured　down　raw；　because　it　was　the　〃manly〃　drink　and　to　take　it　undiluted　was　the　〃manly〃　way。　　They　made　brief　excursions　to　Indianapolis　and　Chicago　for　the　sort　of　carousals　that　appeal　to　the　strong　appetites　and　undiscriminating　tastes　of　robust　and　curious　youth。

Scarborough　at　once　began　to　reap　the　reward　of　his　advantagesa　naturally　bold　spirit；　an　unnaturally　reckless　mood。　　In　two　weeks　he　won　three　hundred　dollars；　half　of　it　from　Pierson。　　He　went　to　Chicago　and　in　three　nights'　play　increased　this　to　twenty…nine　hundred。　　The　noise　of　the　unprecedented　achievement　echoed　through　the　college。　　In　its　constellation　of　bad　examples　a　new　star　had　blazed　out；　a　star　of　the　first　magnitude。

Bladen　Scarborough　had　used　his　surplus　to　improve　and　extend　his　original　farm。　　But　farms　were　now　practically　unsalable；　and　Hampden　and　Arabella　were　glad　to　let　their　cousin　EdEd　Warfieldstay　on；　rent　free；　because　with　him　there　they　were　certain　that　the　place　would　be　well　kept　up。　　Hampden；　poor　in　cash；　had　intended　to　spend　the　summer　as　a　book　agent。　　Instead；　he　put　by　a　thousand　dollars　of　his　winnings　to　insure　next　year's　expenses　and　visited　Pierson　at　his　family's　cottage　in　the　summer　colony　at　Mackinac。　　He　won　at　poker　there　and　went　on　East；　taking　Pierson。　　He　lost　all　he　had　with　him；　all　Pierson　could　lend　him；　telegraphed　to　Battle　Field　for　half　his　thousand　dollars；　won　back　all　he　had　lost　and　two　thousand　besides。

When　he　reappeared　at　Battle　Field　in　September　he　was　dazzling　to　behold。　　His　clothes　were　many　and　had　been　imported　for　him　by　the　Chicago　agent　of　a　London　tailor。　　His　shirts　and　ties　were　in　patterns　and　styles　that　startled　Battle　Field。　　He　had　taken　on　manners　and　personal　habits　befitting　a　〃man　of　the　world〃but　he　had　not　lost　that　simplicity　and　directness　which　were　as　unchangeably　a　part　of　him　as　the　outlines　of　his　face　or　the　force　which　forbade　him　to　be　idle　for　a　moment。　　He　and　PiersonPierson　was　pupil；　nowtook　a　suite　of　rooms　over　a　shop　in　the　town　and　furnished　them　luxuriously。　　They　had　brought　from　New　York　to　look　after　them　and　their　belongings　the　first　English　manservant　Battle　Field　had　seen。

Scarborough　kept　up　his　college　work；　he　continued　regularly　to　attend　the　Literary　Society　and　to　be　its　most　promising　orator　and　debater；　he　committed　no　overt　actothers　might　break　the　college　rules；　might　be　publicly　intoxicated　and　noisy；　but　he　was　always　master　of　himself　and　of　the　situation。　　Some　of　the　fanatical　among　the　religious　students　believed　and　said　that　he　had　sold　himself　to　the　devil。　　He　would　have　been　expelled　summarily　but　for　PiersonPierson's　father　was　one　of　the　two　large　contributors　to　the　support　of　the　college；　and　it　was　expected　that　he　would　will　it　a　generous　endowment。　　To　entrap　Scarborough　was　to　entrap　Pierson。　　To　entrap　Pierson　The　faculty　strove　to　hear　and　see　as　little　as　possible　of　their　doings。

In　the　college　Y。M。C。A。　prayers　were　offered　for　Scarboroughhis　name　was　not　spoken；　but　every　one　understood。　　A　delegation　of　the　religious　among　his　faithful　fellow　barbs　called　upon　him　to　pray　and　to　exhort。　　They　came　away　more　charmed　than　ever　with　their　champion；　and　convinced　that　he　was　the　victim　of　slander　and　envy。　　Not　that　he　had　deliberately　deceived　them；　for　he　hadn't；　he　was　simply　courteous　and　respectful　of　their　sincerity。

〃The　fraternities　are　in　this　somewhere；〃　the　barbs　decided。　　〃They're　trying　to　destroy　him　by　lying　abo