and and holding his seine and tin
can of minnows in the other, he faced his waspish little
tormentors.

* * * * *

The moment had come for him to speak. He did not hesitate. Had he
been forty-five and bald, he could not have met the situation
with more determined conventionality. He realized, plainly
enough, that the family had been disgraced, and neither to
herself nor to the world would he minimize or excuse Margery's
culpability. Yet, nevertheless, he would do his best to hush up
the scandal.

"See here, you kids," he began warningly. Both hands were
occupied, so he could not emphasize his threat with the sight of
a clenched fist. His tones, however, carried conviction. "If any
of you's blab about this, I'll give you such a smashin'----"

Henry did not finish the sentence. There was no need to finish
the sentence. When one's thought has been fully enough expressed,
why go on further?

Henry paused a moment for the meaning to sink in. Then he started
up the knoll, dragging Margery after him. Instantly the pond was
in an uproar.

"Oh, Henry, can't guess who I seen in swimmin' this afternoon!"

"Comin' back to-morrow, ain't you, Margery?"

"Better slow up, Henry, or you'll drop your minnies."

"Say, Margery, your stockin's is comin' down."

Then Freddy Larkin started to chant at the top of his lungs:

Motheh, may I go out to thwim?
Yeth, my darlin' daughter;
Hang your cloth' ...

Of course Margery knew that their wit was aimed at Henry, not at
her. But she breathed freer, nevertheless, once out of ear-shot.

Henry dragged her homeward at a furious pace. He held her arm so
tightly that it ached. The worst was that she couldn't make him
argue about it. He simply held on without talking.

"You just let my arm go, Henry Blair," she whimpered again and
again. "You ain't got any right to hurt me."

But Henry would only close his mouth more grimly and push on.

"Ain't you got any sense, Henry Blair? I ain't tryin' to run
off."

She might just as well be talking to a post.

Even the threat, "If you don't let me go, I'll holler," fell on
deaf ears.

This was said after they had reached the civilization of streets
and houses, where their appearance caused a mild sensation. And
small wonder. Margery's stockings were down in rolls about her
ankles. Behind, her dress was gaping open where Henry had missed
the buttons. In places there were yellow stains