The climax of the afternoon was reached, however, when after several more dances and drinks, the small riverand its possibilities was again brought to the attention of all by Hegglund, who, looking out of one of thewindows, suddenly exclaimed: "What's de matter wit de ice down dere? Look at de swell ice. I dare dis crowd togo down dere and slide."They were off pell-mell--Ratterer and Tina Kogel, running hand in hand, Sparser and Lucille Nickolas, withwhom he had just been dancing, Higby and Laura Sipe, whom he was finding interesting enough for a change,and Clyde and Hortense. But once on the ice, which was nothing more than a narrow, winding stream, blownclean in places by the wind, and curving among thickets of leafless trees, the company were more like youngsatyrs and nymphs of an older day. They ran here and there, slipping and sliding--Higby, Lucille and Maidaimmediately falling down, but scrambling to their feet with bursts of laughter.
And Hortense, aided by Clyde at first, minced here and there. But soon she began to run and slide, squealing inpretended fear. And now, not only Sparser but Higby, and this in spite of Clyde, began to show Hortense attention. They joined her in sliding, ran after her and pretended to try to trip her up, but caught her as she fell.
And Sparser, taking her by the hand, dragged her, seemingly in spite of herself and the others, far upstream andabout a curve where they could not be seen. Determined not to show further watchfulness or jealousy Clyderemained behind. But he could not help feeling that Sparser might be taking this occasion to make a date, even tokiss her. She was not incapable of letting him, even though she might pretend to him that she did not want himto. It was agonizing.
In spite of himself, he began to tingle with helpless pain--to begin to wish that he could see them. But Hegglund,having called every one to join hands and crack the whip, he took the hand of Lucille Nickolas, who was holdingon to Hegglund's, and gave his other free hand to Maida Axelrod, who in turn gave her free hand to Ratterer.
And Higby and Laura Sipe were about to make up the tail when Sparser and Hortense came gliding back--heholding her by the hand. And they now tacked on at the foot. Then Hegglund and the others began running anddoubling back and forth until all beyond Maida had fallen and let go. And, as Clyde noted, Hortense and Sparser,in falling, skidded and rolled against each other to the edge of the shore where were snow and leaves and twigs.
And Hortense's skirts, becoming awry in some way, moved up to above her knees. But instead of showing anyembarrassment, as Clyde thought and wished she might, she sat there for a few moments without shame and evenlaughing heartily--and Sparser with her and still holding her hand. And Laura Sipe, having fallen in such a wayas to trip Higby, who had fallen across her, they also lay there laughing and yet in a most suggestive position, asClyde thought. He noted, too, that Laura Sipe's skirts had been worked above her knees. And Sparser, now sittingup, was pointing to her pretty legs and laughing loudly, showing most of his teeth. And all the others wereemitting peals and squeals of laughter.
"Hang it all!" thought Clyde. "Why the deuce does he always have to be hanging about her? Why didn't he bringa girl of his own if he wanted to have a good time? What right have they got to go where they can't be seen? Andshe thinks I think she means nothing by all this. She never laughs that heartily with me, you bet. What does shethink I am that she can put that stuff over on me, anyhow?" He glowered darkly for the moment, but in spite ofhis thoughts the line or whip was soon re-formed and this time with Lucille Nickolas still holding his hand.
Sparser and Hortense at the tail end again. But Hegglund, unconscious of the mood of Clyde and thinking only ofthe sport, called: "Better let some one else take de end dere, hadn'tcha?" And feeling the fairness of this, Rattererand Maida Axelrod and Clyde and Lucille Nickolas now moved down with Higby and Laura Sipe and Hortenseand Sparser above them. Only, as Clyde noted, Hortense still held Sparser by the hand, yet she moved just abovehim and took his hand, he being to the right, with Sparser next above to her left, holding her other hand firmly,which infuriated Clyde. Why couldn't he stick to Laura Sipe, the girl brought out here for him? And Hortensewas encouraging him.
He was very sad, and he felt so angry and bitter that he could scarcely play the game. He wanted to stop andquarrel with Sparser. But so brisk and eager was Hegglund that they were off before he could even think of doingso.
And then, try as he would, to keep his balance in the face of this, he and Lucille and Ratterer and Maida Axelrodwere thrown down and spun around on the ice like curling irons. And Hortense, letting go of him at the rightmoment, seemed to prefer deliberately to hang on to Sparser. Entangled with these others, Clyde and they spunacross forty feet of smooth, green ice and piled against a snow bank. At the finish, as he found, Lucille Nickolaswas lying across his knees face down in such a spanking position that he was compelled to laugh. And Maida Axelrod was on her back, next to Ratterer, her legs straight up in the air; on purpose he thought. She was toocoarse and bold for him. And there followed, of course, squeals and guffaws of delight--so loud that they couldbe heard for half a mile. Hegglund, intensely susceptible to humor at all times, doubled to the knees, slapped histhighs and bawled. And Sparser opened his big mouth and chortled and grimaced until he was scarlet. Soinfectious was the result that for the time being Clyde forgot his jealousy. He too looked and laughed. ButClyde's mood had not changed really. He still felt that she wasn't playing fair.
At the end of all this playing Lucille Nickolas and Tina Kogel being tired, dropped out. And Hortense, also.
Clyde at once left the group to join her. Ratterer then followed Lucille. Then the others separating, Hegglundpushed Maida Axelrod before him down stream out of sight around a bend. Higby, seemingly taking his cuefrom this, pulled Tina Kogel up stream, and Ratterer and Lucille, seeming to see something of interest, struckinto a thicket, laughing and talking as they went. Even Sparser and Laura, left to themselves, now wandered off,leaving Clyde and Hortense alone.
And then, as these two wandered toward a fallen log which here paralleled the stream, she sat down. But Clyde,smarting from his fancied wounds, stood silent for the time being, while she, sensing as much, took him by thebelt of his coat and began to pull at him.
"Giddap, horsey," she played. "Giddap. My horsey has to skate me now on the ice."Clyde looked at her glumly, glowering mentally, and not to be diverted so easily from the ills which he felt to behis.
"Whadd'ye wanta let that fellow Sparser always hang around you for?" he demanded. "I saw you going up thecreek there with him a while ago. What did he say to you up there?""He didn't say anything.""Oh, no, of course not," he replied cynically and bitterly. "And maybe he didn't kiss you, either.""I should say not," she replied definitely and spitefully, "I'd like to know what you think I am, anyhow. I don't letpeople kiss me the first time they see me, smarty, and I want you to know it. I didn't let you, did I?""Oh, that's all right, too," answered Clyde; "but you didn't like me as well as you do him, either.""Oh, didn't I? Well, maybe I didn't, but what right have you to say I like him, anyhow. I'd like to know if I can'thave a little fun without you watching me all the time. You make me tired, that's what you do." She was quiteangry now because of the proprietary air he appeared to be assuming.
And now Clyde, repulsed and somewhat shaken by this sudden counter on her part, decided on the instant thatperhaps it might be best for him to modify his tone. After all, she had never said that she had really cared forhim, even in the face of the implied promise she had made him.
"Oh, well," he observed glumly after a moment, and not without a little of sadness in his tone, "I know one thing.
If I let on that I cared for any one as much as you say you do for me at times, I wouldn't want to flirt around withothers like you are doing out here.""Oh, wouldn't you?""No, I wouldn't.""Well, who's flirting anyhow, I'd like to know?""You are.""I'm not either, and I wish you'd just go away and let me alone if you can't do anything but quarrel with me. Justbecause I danced with him up there in the restaurant, is no reason for you to think I'm flirting. Oh, you make metired, that's what you do,""Do I?""Yes, you do.""Well, maybe I better go off and not bother you any more at all then," he returned, a trace of his mother's couragewelling up in him.
"Well, maybe you had, if that's the way you're going to feel about me all the time," she answered, and kickedviciously with her toe............