the sounds of fiddle and
stamping feet. It was a little hard for a prophet on his own mountain-top
to be sent to play with the children; yet he went.

Chapter VII

Kisses

With the advent of the four Turrentine boys festivities had taken on a
brighter air, the game became better worth while.

"Wade, you've got to fiddle," cried Judith peremptorily. A chair was set
upon a table in the corner, the rather reluctant Wade hoisted to it, and
soon "Weevily Wheat," as the twitting tune comes from the country
fiddler's jigging bow, was filling the room.

"I reckon I ought to have asked your ruthers before I took Wade out of
the game," Judith said to Huldah Spiller as they joined hands to begin.

"Like I cared!" retorted Huldah, tossing her red head till the curls
bobbed. She was wearing the new blue lawn dress, made by a real store
pattern cut out of tissue paper, and was supremely conscious of looking
her best.

The Lusk girls in spotted calico frocks, the dots whereof were pink on
Cliantha's dress, and blue on Pendrilla's, had bridled and glanced about
shamefaced when Andy and Jeff came in; they now "balanced" demurely with
down dropped eyes as the game moved to the music.

Judith had left the supper preparations with the elder women, pieced out
by the assistance of old Dilsey Rust, and was most active in the games.
In the white muslin, washed and ironed by her own skilful, capable
fingers, with the blue bow confining the heavy chestnut braids at the
nape of her neck, her dark beauty glowed richly. Now the players shifted
to "Drop the Handkerchief." Judith delighted in this game because,
fleeter of foot, quicker of hand and eye than the others, she continually
disappointed any daring swain who thought to have a kiss from her. Her
shining eyes were ever on the doorway, till Blatch Turrentine left his
seat at the back of the room and elected to lounge there watching the
play with the tolerant air of a man contemplating the sports of children.
It apparently gave him satisfaction that Judith time after time eluded a
pursuer, broke into the ring and left him to wander in search of a less
alert and resolute fair.

"Cain't none of the boys kiss yo' gal," panted Huldah Spiller, pausing
beside him. "I doubt mightily ef ye could do it yo'self 'less'n she had a
mind to let ye'."

Judith heard, and the carmine on her cheek deepened and spread, while the
dark eyes above gleamed angrily.

"Come on and play, Blatch," ca