The Rise of Roscoe Paine

other machine was likely to be traveling on the Lower Road at that season of the year. She was the pretty daughter of whom Dorinda had spoken to Mother. Well, she was prett

e two meetings which had already taken place I swore at the blue and white water-pitcher on my bureau because it did not contain water enough to drown me. Not that I would commit suicide on her account. She

no; I had run away. She-or that Victor-would tell of the meeting at the bridge, and all my independence and the rest of it would be regarded as of a piece with that, just the big-headed "smartne

at. In spite of my chagrin I could not help chuckling as I thought of it. To tell Big Jim Colton to go to the devil was, in its way, I imagined, a privilege enjoyed by few. It must have shaken hi

ections, I went downstairs. Dorinda was setting th

wiping an imaginary speck from the corn

," s

Dorinda. "Have

an interesting

ed so, from wh

e is

ead was so full of you and what you told him you said to Mr. Colton that I shouldn'

've gone crazy

but I told him I cal'lated we could bear with your r

fraid

t didn't do any

hat do y

't obey orders-

't when

n' from what I hear about the way that Colton man lives, and what he does on Sundays and

s, but Dorinda insisted on keeping those to use when we had company.

anted to see you. But I give you fair warnin' that, if I don't, Lute will. Lute

u both, at su

seeing me about to enter Mother's room, "if it's anything too unpleasant I wouldn't w

der to "Big Jim" and I said nothing whatever about his daughter. Mother seemed to think I had don

nd all that are annoying to any one with weak nerves. It mus

of it, and contrasting its splendor with the bare necessity of that dark

wouldn't think of you, if the conditions were rever

Roscoe. You don't know.

, I think you needn't be sorry for that woman.

thing she hasn't got. She

re! Mother, I won't be disagreeable. Let's change the s

y Captain Dean spoke to you about the Lane at the office this morni

hat, he heard enough to make him g

without telling him beforehand. Shal

me, I shall,

suppose he will try to persuade the S

ow. I shoul

der to refuse t

d his bid to a thousand, if I had let him. As a matter of business and nothing else, I suppose I

ness, is it? And we DON'T need the money. We'

uld do-for you-with a thousand dollars. Why, there are

oscoe, I wouldn't sell to Mr. Colton. And

y n

ch more about such things than I-but why not let matters stay just as they are? The townspeople can use the Lane, just as they have always done, and, as

nk the Coltons w

at the Lane means to the town, and so on. I'm sure he would understand, if you told him that. And then, if the sight of the w

press my thoughts. I told Mother not to worry, I was sure everything would b

he almost forgot to eat, a miracle of itself and made greater by the fact that he did not ask a single question until his wife asked one first. Then he

mans, not a passel of birds on a telegraph wire all hollerin' at once. Drink your tea and stop you

ary they should know. Lute kept remarkably quiet, for him, until I named

ed "Five hundred DOLLARS

hundred and fifty b

red-and FIFTY! For the

ke Sim Eldredge sellin' somethin' at aucti

what I told

own affairs best, but, judgin' from some hints Matildy Dean hove out when she wa

ed. "Why, Mother said Ma

n't wonder that girl is such a meek, soft-spoken kind of thing. Between her pa's bullyin' and her ma's tongue, it's a wonder she's got any spirit left. It would be a mercy if George Taylor should marry her and take her out of that house. Matildy

n' into me if I stretch a yarn the least mite. Why, last April Fool Day you give me Hail Columby for jokin' you

n't goin' to have her seein' her granddad's ghost in every corner. But, anyhow, Matildy made a little call on me, and, amongst the million other things she said, was somethin' about Cap'n Jed hearin' that Mr. Colto

ee no use in repeating my co

da no

go-where you sent the oth

n't k

ine to be in a position where money's no object

not

goin' to be two parties in Denboro afore this Lane business is over. One for the Colt

ecessa

et on the f

d place TO si

smiled

e observed. "Otherwise the pickets are liable to ma

eft the dining-room I heard Lute reiterating his belief that I had gone crazy.

irits. Remembrance of the previous day's humiliations troubled me surprisingly little. They did not seem nearly

I did not expect to meet my aristocratic neighbors-I devoutly wished it might be my good luck never to meet any of them again-but in ma

suit on, ain't y

," s

nywheres

the boathouse

water spots. Did you leave your brown ones upstairs? Um-hm. Well, I'll get at 'em some

nder confirmed my suspicions that ot

n find time. But, for mercy's sake, don't spot those all up, for

id not feel like doing it any more than I had the day before. A little of my good spirits were wearing off, like the legs of my "other" trousers, and after an hour of intermittent tinkering I threw down the wrench and decided

oyed every stroke of it. The tide was almost full, just beginning to ebb, so there was scarcely any current and I could make a straight cut across, instead of following the

ife, would want to hear "all the sewin' circle news." "It's the biggest hardship of her life," said Ben, "that she has to miss sewin' circle when the bay ices in. Soon's it clears she's at me to row her acrost to the meetin's. I've took

mistrusted" there was too much flour in them, and the jelly because it was some she had left over and she wanted to see if I thought it was "keepin'" all right. After this, Ben took me out to see his hens, and then w

I forgot about the tide or I wouldn't have talked so much. Hello! there's another craft about your size off yonder. Somebody el

skiff and saw, out in the middle of the b

she sets out of water I'd call her a lap-streak dingy. If that feller's takin' his girl out row

nough on this side of the bay, but on the village side the channel made a wide detour and I should be obliged to follow it

xcept that the delay might make me late for dinner, the prospect did not trouble me. I swung into the channel and set the skiff's bow against the current. Then from the

f me. I looked where he was pointing. I could not see anything out of the ordinary. Except for my own skiff and the gulls, and the row boat with the two persons in it

s. So far as I could see, the boat was drifting; there were no flashes of sunlight on wet blades to show that the oars w

ke this, with no sea running, there was nothing to fear in the bay. If, however, they should drift out of the bay it might be unpleasant. And they certainly wer

ottomed dingy-good enough as a yacht's tender or in deep water, but the worst boat in the world to row about Denboro bay at low tide. Her high rail caught what breeze

voice an

ed. "We're drifting out to se

swered. "I'll be

ding to speak again; but I did not. The two persons in the din

y eyes; therefore they had not recognized me before. And I, busy at the oars and looking over my shoul

r!" she sai

ion. Then, looking at me

inst me. No matter where I went, on land

"By Jove!" he observed; "Mabel, we seem destine

ded the encounter. Ben Small could have gone to their rescue just as well as I. However, here I w

tience was

demanded. "Aren't you going to

nd, drawing in my oars, turned and p

quely; "catch this l

e loop of rope

I do with it

for the present. What b

it ove

over your anchor and

did not deign to explain. Instead he began pull

that," I s

, and with it and the anchor in my hands, scrambled aft and

slack until you get to the end. Then

d jerked loose suddenly and he went backward in a heap. I thought, for an instant, tha

, too, under different circumstances, but just now I did not feel like it. Besides, the rope,

s knees. I heard a sound from the dingy's stern as if the young lady

he sputtered, angrily

ave it, for I pulled alongsid

t fast. While he was busy I ventured to glance at Miss Colton. Her eyes were snapping with fun and she seemed to be enj

e skiff's

ou want to

g," he said. "Get as much of a move on as you

new if he continued to use that tone in his remarks to me I should answer as I

he stern, was facing me and I could not help looking at her. She did not look at me, or, if she di

that I had lost. I had known girls like her. They had not as much money as she, perhaps, but they were just as well-bred and refined, and almost as pretty. I had associated with them as an equal. I wondered what she would say, or th

til we were abreast the Colton mansion. Then Victor, who had been talking in a low tone with

re are you going? That's

e shall have to go around th

s the reaso

t water enough. We

od up

lenty of water. I can't see any

ered with eelgrass and doesn't show. We shall h

t! it's past one o'clock now.

yet. And, if I were you, I sh

tention to th

nding," he declared. "There is water enough for them. What

part, was the safest thing just t

oceeding for which I was thankful. They whispe

We must get ashore. Go straight in. If you're afraid I'll t

f risk. It was a certai

ss here," I s

confou

cautioned

t out that way ourselves. Here you-Paine, or whatever your name is-we've had enough of this. I've hired you t

he flat the tide had been hours higher, of c

said,

me an oar and I'll row t

perfectly well with one. And it would serve him beautifull

by Jove, I'll do without it. Stop! Stop where you are! do

untying the tow li

on looked

cried. "What a

his price, that's all. He can't work me. I've seen his kind before. Don't be frightene

his anchor would touch and, if it did, I knew it would not hold. I backed wate

still fumbling with the rope

n him. I addressed m

ss that flat at this stage of the tide. I can give you an oar, of course, but it won't do any good. My oars are too light and sma

s; although I am sure she was listening. But Victor, who h

tell us what he was? There!" throwing the end of the rope overboard and

s well have looked at an iceberg. I sl

grimly. "But I warn you t

fell apart. Victor seized the bor

d. "I'll send you the oar and your pay later. Now, Mabe

was some moments before I recovered self-possession sufficiently to get my remaining oar ov

" first on one side, then on the other. The dingy's bow slid up on the mud. He stood up to push it off, and the stern swung around. Getting clear, he took a fresh start and succeeded only in fouling again. This time he got further into the ta

ed, as I had not noticed before, that brown clouds-wind clouds-were piling up in the west, and, if I was anything of a prophet, we would have squalls and dirty weather long

to a cold determination, and this trip was purely business. I was not at a disadvantage now, as I had been when I first

ep water. I threw over my anchor, shortened the rope and made it fast. Then I stepped out into water ab

e coming and roared an angry protest. He was

. "You keep away.

gside the dingy and looked at her and the posi

stay aboard," I said. "Let the lady mo

y as Colton or Lute had declared me

came from," he ordere

d in the mud, the tide is still going out, and there are squalls coming. She must be got off or

he continued to push with t

must ask you to stand up.

id she reply. The look

s gentleman-must get out, as I tell him to, or I shall ha

hment. Then the color flamed in

your help," s

that makes no

is hands. I thought for an instant

" he shouted. "W

d was made up to do it. I waded in until the water was almost

am going to carry you to

!-" she

ed through the weeds and water. The mud was

," I said, sharply,

ruggling. From behind me I hea

iff and, plunging in still deepe

e," I said. "I shall be back as s

frantic, but he did not disturb me. Th

red. "Do you hear me?

-" he st

ued serenely, "you're likely to tumble ov

the shoal. But there were others all about. With one hand on the bow I guided her between them and to the edge of the channel. Then, wadi

k my oar from the dingy, pulled up t

o Victor. "Miss Colton, pleas

I looked but once. All the way home I kept m

lace. The channel beyond the flat, which we had so lately left, was whipped to whitecaps in a

rew the towed boat in by the line. I offered to assist Miss Colton ashore, but she, apparently, did not see my proffered ha

ed Victor. "W

dge of the water, with one hand in hi

?" I

u yet," he said, s

I knew, of course, but it p

ing us in? What's your

ce. I'm not in the

rgain. What's your

. Very glad to have

up my

! Confound you! do you suppose we

s been a pleasure," I s

look on Mabel Colton's face. I rather thought I had evened the account between us; at l

entered the kitchen. H

them pants! LOOK at 'em! And I ain't had t