“Oh, how do you do?” she replied, coldly, as though just aware of his presence.
“I--I don’t do very well,” blurted out Tom. “I--er--say, what’s the matter, Madge?” he asked helplessly and utterly unable to dissemble any longer.
“The matter? Why, I didn’t know that anything was.”
“Yes you did. That May walk--why wouldn’t you let me go with you?”
“Why, I fancied you had a previous engagement,” and her eyes, in which she could not altogether conceal the lurking glance of mischief, looked straight at Tom, making his heart beat faster than usual.
“Oh, you mean that Miss Benson? That was an accident. She had scratched herself and----”
“You were a very efficient first-aider,” came the quick retort.
“Oh, I say now, Madge--that isn’t fair. I couldn’t help it--honestly. Say, come for a row; will you? It’s early yet.”
“She left you, or, rather, Frank kidnapped her. We’ll get them, if you like, but----”
“Oh, I don’t know as it’s necessary,” was Miss Tyler’s calm but quick response, and the mischief in her eyes grew. “If you’re sure you want me, I’ll come, but I’m not going to get scratched with a thorn, so you can save your handkerchief.”
“Oh, I say now, that’s not fair,” laughed Tom. “I haven’t seen Miss Benson since, though I suppose you and Mr. Shambler----”
“Tom!” she exclaimed, half angrily, and our hero had the sense to say no more. The two were soon in the boat, Tom rowing idly along under the arches of overhanging bushes.
The little misunderstanding had passed away, and the two were their happy selves again. Tom’s first care was to make sure that he would see Miss Tyler at the games, and she promised to be on hand, and to join a little party that Tom and his chums were planning after the events had been run off.
“But I think you had better put me ashore now,” said Madge after a bit. “It is getting late, and it’s quite a walk for Mabel and me back to Fairview. There she is now, waving to me.”
Tom saw Frank and Miss Harrison on shore beckoning to them.
“Oh, but I say, we haven’t been out long at all,” he protested. “Can’t you stay a little longer?”
Madge shook her head, smiling the while, and, rather against his will, Tom put about, and began to row back to where Frank and his friend waited. As he swung out into the stream he heard voices on shore, and they at once struck him as being familiar. A moment later he had a glimpse of Shambler, talking to a man--the same untidy individual who had been with the student near the gymnasium some time previous. Miss Tyler saw Shambler, at the same moment.