f mother to a small boy with an
unsatisfactory toy--that would always be Judith Barrier--that Creed's
heart--the man's heart--a lonely one, and beginning to feel itself
misunderstood and barred out from its kind--melted in his bosom. There
was silence between them, a silence vibrant with the coming utterance.
But even as the dark, fond, inviting eyes and the troubled, kindling blue
ones encountered, as Creed lifted the girl's hand timidly, and essayed
speech, the voice of that one who had stepped on her grave harshly
aroused them both.

"I vow--I thort it was thieves, an' I was a-goin' to see could I pick off
you-all," drawled Blatchley Turrentine's level tones from the shadow of
the garden. Mutely, with a sense of chill and disappointment that was
like the shock of a physical blow to each, the two young creatures got to
their feet and turned to leave the place, preparing to go by the high
road, without consultation. As they passed him near the gate, Blatch
Turrentine fell in on the other side of the girl and walked with them
silently for a time.

"Iley sont me over," he said finally. "She was skeered you-all wouldn't
bring any plates."

Neither Judith nor Creed offered any explanation. Instead:

"Well, I don't see how you're goin' to help anything," said the girl
bitterly--any presence must have been hateful to her which interrupted or
forestalled what Creed would certainly have said, that for which her
whole twenty years had waited.

"Oh, I've got the plates," chuckled Blatch, jingling a bulky package
under his arm.

"Why, how did you----" began Judith in amazement.

"Uh-huh, I've got my own little trick of gittin' in whar I choose to go,"
declared Turrentine. He leaned around and looked meaningly at the man on
her other side, then questioned, "How long do you-all reckon I'd been
thar?" and examined them keenly in the shadowy half light.

But neither hastened to disclaim or explain, neither seemed in any degree
embarrassed, though to both his bearing was plainly almost intolerable.
Thereafter they walked in silence which was scarcely broken till they
reached the gate and Iley came shrilling out to meet them demanding,

"Did you get them thar plates from Miz. Lusk's, you Blatch Turrentine?"

Judith looked at him with angry scorn. It was the old tyrannical trick
which she had known from her childhood up, the attempt to maintain an
ascendency over her by appearing to know everything and be
everywhere--"like h