On that occasion he sat upright in a chair between his
stepmother and his tutor, looking intently out of very bright blue
eyes at the two gipsy-brown little girls in their single-garment
linen play-clothes, swinging their tanned bare legs and feet from the
railing of the porch. They returned this inspection in silence--on
Sylvia's part with the keen and welcoming interest she always felt in
new people who were well-dressed and physically attractive, but as for
Judith with a frankly hostile curiosity, as at some strange and quite
unattractive new animal.
The next morning, a still, oppressive day of brazen heat, it was
suggested that the children take their guest off to visit some of
their own favorite haunts to "get acquainted." This process began
somewhat violently by the instant halt of Arnold as soon as they were
out of sight of the house. "I'm going to take off these damn socks and
shoes," he announced, sitting down in the edge of a flower-bed.
"Oh, don't! You'll get your clean suit all dirty!" cried Sylvia,
springing forward to lift him out of the well-tilled black loam.
Arnold thrust her hand away and made a visible effort to increase his
specific gravity. "I hope to the Lord I _do_ get it dirty!" he said
bitterly.
"Isn't it your best?" asked Sylvia, aghast. "Have you another?" "I
haven't anything but!" said the boy savagely. "There's a whole trunk
full of them!" He was fumbling with a rough clumsiness at the lacing
of his shoes, but made no progress in loosening them, and now began
kicking at the grass.
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