Chatham backyard by a crowd ofstone-throwing boys, and which she had sought to oust with a stick fromits hiding place under the steps. Since then Dorcas had had anunconquerable fear and dislike of dogs. The feeling was unconquerablebecause she had made no effort to conquer it. She had henceforth judgedall dogs by the one whose teeth marks had left a lifelong scar on herwhite forearm.
She had the good breeding not to let Ferris see her distaste for hispet that he was just then exhibiting so proudly to the guests. Hershrinking was imperceptible, even to a lover's solicitous eye. But Chumnoted it. And with a collie's odd sixth sense he knew this intruder didnot like him.
Not that her aversion troubled Chum at all; but it puzzled him. Peopleas a rule were effusively eager to make friends with Chum. And--beingultraconservative, like the best type of collie--he found theirhandling and other attentions annoying. He had taken a liking toDorcas, at sight. But since she did not return this liking Chum waswell content to keep away from her.
He was the more content, because five-year-old Olive had flung herself,with loud squeals of rapture, bodily on the dog; and had clasped herfat little arms adoringly round his massive furry throat in an ecstasyof delight.
Chum had never before been brought into such close contact with achild. And Link watched with some slight perturbation the baby'sonslaught. But in a moment Ferris's mind was at rest.
At first touch of the baby's fingers the collie had become once and forall Olive's slave. He fairly reveled in the discomfortingly tightcaress. The tug of the little hands in his sensitive neck fur was blissto him. Wiggling all over with happiness he sought to lick the chubbyface pressed so tight against his ruff. From that instant Chum had adivided allegiance. His human god was Ferris. But this fluffypink-and-white youngster was a mighty close second in his list ofdeities.
Dorcas looked on, trembling with fear; as her little sister romped withthe adoring dog. And she heaved a sigh of relief when at last they wereclear of the farm without mishap to the baby. For Olive had been dearerto Dorcas, from birth, than anyone or anything else on earth. To thebaby sister alone Dorcas ceased to be the grave-eyed and self-assuredLady of Quality, and became a meek and worshiping devotee.
When Link Ferris at last mustered courage to ask Dorcas Chatham tomarry him his form of proposal would have been ruled out of any novelor play. It consisted chiefly of a mouthful of half-swallowed,half-exploded words, spoken all in one panic breath, to theaccompaniment of a mortal fear that shook him to the marrow.
Any other words, thus mouthed and gargled, would have required a fullcollege of languages to translate them. But the speech was along a lineperfectly familiar to every woman since Eve. And Dorcas understood. Shewould have understood had Link voiced his proposal in the Choctawdialect instead of a slurringly mumbled travesty on English.
The man's stark earnestness of entreaty sent a queer flutter to thevery depths of her calm soul. But the flutter failed to reach or totitillate the steady eyes. Nor did it creep into the level andself-possessed voice, as Dorcas made quiet answer:
"Yes. I like you better than any other man I know. And I'll marry you,if you're perfectly sure you care for me that way."
No, it was not the sort of reply Juliet made to the same question. Itis more than doubtful that Cleopatra answered thus, when Antony offeredto throw away the world for her sake. But it was a wholly correct andself-respecting response. And Dorcas had been rehearsing it for nearlya week.
Moreover, words are of use, merely as they affect their hearers. Andall the passion poetry of men and of angels could not have thrilledLink Ferris as did Dorcas's correct and demure assent to his frenziedlygabbled plea. It went through the lovesick man's brain and heart likethe breath of God.
And thus the couple became engaged.
With only a slight diminishing of his earlier fear did Link seek outOld Man Chatham to obtain his consent to the match. Dizzy with joy andrelief he listened to that village worthy's ungracious assent alsosecretly rehearsed for some days.
For the best part of a month thereafter Link Ferris floated through auniverse of roseate lights and soft music.
Then came the jar of awakening.
It was one Saturday evening, a week or so before the date set for thewedding. Dorcas broached a theme which had been much in her mind sincethe beginning of the engagement. She approached it very tactfullyindeed, leading up to it in true feminine fashion by means of acunningly devised series of levels which would have been the despair ofa mining engineer. Having paved the way she remarked carelessly:
"John Iglehart was at the store to-day, father says. He's crazy aboutthat big collie of yours."
Instantly Link was full of glad interest. It had been a sorrow to himthat Dorcas did not like dogs. She had explained her dislike--purely ongeneral principles--early in their acquaintance, and had told him ofits origin. Link was certain she would come to love Chum, on intimateacquaintance. In the interim he did not seek to force her liking bybringing the collie to the Chatham house when he called.
Link did not believe in crossing a bridge until he came to it. Therewould be plenty of time for Dorcas to make friends with Chum in thelong and happy days to come. Yet, now, he rejoiced that she herselfshould have been the first to broach the subject.
"Father says John is wild about Chum," went on the girl unconcernedly;adding, "By the way, John asked father to tell you he'd be glad to payyou $100 for the dog. It's a splendid offer, isn't it! Think of all thethings we can get for the house with $100, Link! Why, it seems almostprovidential, doesn't it? Father says John is in earnest about it too.He--"
"In earnest, hey!" snapped Ferris, finding his voice after an instantof utter amazement. "In EARNEST! Well, that's real grand of him, ain'tit! I'd be in earnest, too, if I was to bid ten cents for the best farmin Passaic County. But the feller who owned the farm wouldn't be inearnest. He'd be taking it as a fine joke. Like I do, when JohnnyIglehart has the nerve to offer $100 for a dog that wouldn't be worth acent less'n $600--even if he was for sale. Why, that collie of mine--"
"If he is worth $600," suggested Dorcas icily, "you'd better not loseany time before you find someone who will pay that for him. He's no useto us. And $600 is too much money to carry on four legs. He--"
"No use to us?" echoed Link. "Why, Chum's worth the pay of a hired manto me, besides all the fondness I've got for him! He handles the sheep,and he--"
"So you've told me," interposed Dorcas with no show of interest. "Iremember the first few times you came to see me you didn't talk ofanything else, hardly, except that dog. Everybody says the same thing.It's a joke all through Hampton, the silly way you're forever singinghis praises."
"Why shouldn't I?" demanded Link sturdily. "There's not a dandier,better pal anywhere, than what Chum's been to me. He--"
"Yes, yes," assented Dorcas, "I know. I don't doubt it. But, after all,he's only a dog, you know. And if you can get a good price for him, asyou say, then the only thing to do is to sell him. In hard times likethese--"
"Times ain't hard," denied Link tersely. "And Chum ain't for sale.That's all there is to it."
If one of her father's sleek cart horses had suddenly walked out of itsstall with a shouted demand that it be allowed to do the driving,henceforth, and that its owners do the hauling, Dorcas Chatham couldnot have been much more surprised than at this unlooked-for speech fromher humble suitor.
Up to now, Link Ferris had treated the girl as though he were unworthyto breathe the same air as herself. He had been pathetically eager toconcede any and every mooted point to her, with a servile abasementwhich had roused her contempt, even while it had gratified her sense ofpower.
She had approached with tact the subject of Chum's disposal. But shehad done so with a view to the saving of Link's feelings, not with thefaintest idea that her love-bemused slave could venture to oppose her.She knew his fondness for the dog and she had not wished to bringmatters to an issue, if tact would serve as well.
To punish her serf and to crush rebellion once and for all,
as well asto be avenged for her wasted diplomacy, Dorcas cast aside her kindlierintent and drove straight to the point. Her calm temper was ruffled,and she spoke with a new heat:
"There is something you and I may as well settle, here and now, Link,"she said. "It will save bickerings and misunderstandings, later on.I've told you how I hate dogs. They are savage and treacherous and--"
"Chum ain't!" declared Link stoutly.
"Why, that dog--"
"I hate dogs," she went on, "and I'm horribly afraid of them. I won'tlive in the same house with one. I don't want to hurt your feelings,Link, but you'll have to get rid of that great brown brute before youmarry me.