It was quite dark when Roberta stole out on Wednesday night to meet Clyde. But before that what qualms andmeditations in the face of her willingness and her agreement to do so. For not only was it difficult for her toovercome her own mental scruples within, but in addition there was all the trouble in connection with thecommonplace and religious and narrow atmosphere in which she found herself imbedded at the Newtons'. Forsince coming here she had scarcely gone anywhere without Grace Marr. Besides on this occasion--a thing shehad forgotten in talking to Clyde--she had agreed to go with the Newtons and Grace to the Gideon BaptistChurch, where a Wednesday prayer meeting was to be followed by a social with games, cake, tea and ice cream.
In consequence she was troubled severely as to how to manage, until it came back to her that a day or two beforeMr. Liggett, in noting how rapid and efficient she was, had observed that at any time she wanted to learn onephase of the stitching operations going on in the next room, he would have her taken in hand by Mrs. Braley,who would teach her. And now that Clyde's invitation and this church affair fell on the same night, she decidedto say that she had an appointment with Mrs. Braley at her home. Only, as she also decided, she would wait untiljust before dinner Wednesday and then say that Mrs. Braley had invited her to come to her house. Then shecould see Clyde. And by the time the Newtons and Grace returned she could be back. Oh, how it would feel tohave him talk to her--say again as he did in the boat that he never had seen any one look so pretty as she didstanding on the bank and looking for water lilies. Many, many thoughts--vague, dreadful, colorful, came to her-howand where they might go--be--do--from now on, if only she could arrange to be friends with him withoutharm to her or him. If need be, she now decided, she could resign from the factory and get a place somewhereelse--a change which would absolve Clyde from any responsibility in regard to her.
There was, however, another mental as well as emotional phase in regard to all this and that related to herclothes. For since coming to Lycurgus she had learned that the more intelligent girls here dressed better than didthose about Biltz and Trippetts Mills. At the same time she had been sending a fair portion of her money to hermother--sufficient to have equipped her exceptionally well, as she now realized, had she retained it. But now thatClyde was swaying her so greatly she was troubled about her looks, and on the evening after her conversationwith him at the mill, she had gone through her small wardrobe, fixing upon a soft blue hat which Clyde had notyet seen, together with a checkered blue and white flannel skirt and a pair of white canvas shoes purchased theprevious summer at Biltz. Her plan was to wait until the Newtons and Grace had departed for church and thenswiftly dress and leave.
At eight-thirty, when night had finally fallen, she went east along Taylor to Central Avenue, then by a circuitousroute made her way west again to the trysting place. And Clyde was already there. Against an old wooden fencethat enclosed a five-acre cornfield, he was leaning and looking back toward the interesting little city, the lights inso many of the homes of which were aglow through the trees. The air was laden with spices--the mingledfragrance of many grasses and flowers. There was a light wind stirring in the long swords of the corn at hisback--in the leaves of the trees overhead. And there were stars--the big dipper and the little dipper and the milkyway--sidereal phenomena which his mother had pointed out to him long ago.
And he was thinking how different was his position here to what it had been in Kansas City. There he had beenso nervous in regard to Hortense Briggs or any girl, really--afraid almost to say a word to any of them. Whereashere, and especially since he had had charge of this stamping room, he had seemed to become aware of the factthat he was more attractive than he had ever thought he was before. Also that the girls were attracted to him and that he was not so much afraid of them. The eyes of Roberta herself showed him this day how much she wasdrawn to him. She was his girl. And when she came, he would put his arms around her and kiss her. And shewould not be able to resist him.
He stood listening, dreaming and watching, the rustling corn behind him stirring an old recollection in him, whensuddenly he saw her coming. She looked trim and brisk and yet nervous, and paused at the street end and lookedabout like a frightened and cautious animal. At once Clyde hurried forward toward her and called softly: "Hello.
Gee, it's nice to have you meet me. Did you have any trouble?" He was thinking how much more pleasing shewas than either Hortense Briggs or Rita Dickerman, the one so calculating, the other so sensually free andindiscriminate.
"Did I have any trouble? Oh, didn't I though?" And at once she plunged into a full and picturesque account, notonly of the mistake in regard to the Newtons' church night and her engagement with them, but of a determinationon the part of Grace Marr not to go to the church social without her, and how she had to fib, oh, so terribly, aboutgoing over to Mrs. Braley's to learn to stitch--a Liggett-Roberta development of which Clyde had heard nothingso far and concerning which he was intensely curious, because at once it raised the thought that already Liggettmight be intending to remove her from under his care. He proceeded to question her about that before he wouldlet her go on with her story, an interest which Roberta noticed and because of which she was very pleased.
"But I can't stay very long, you know," she explained briskly and warmly at the first opportunity, the while Clydelaid hold of her arm and turned toward the river, which was to the north and untenanted this far out. "The BaptistChurch socials never last much beyond ten-thirty or eleven, and they'll be back soon. So I'll have to manage to beback before they are."Then she gave many reasons why it would be unwise for her to be out after ten, reasons which annoyed yetconvinced Clyde by their wisdom. He had been hoping to keep her out longer. But seeing that the time was to bebrief, he was all the keener for a closer contact with her now, and fell to complimenting her on her pretty hat andcape and how becoming they were. At once he tried putting his arm about her waist, but feeling this to be a tooswift advance she removed his arm, or tried to, saying in the softest and most coaxing voice "Now, now--that'snot nice, is it? Can't you just hold my arm or let me hold yours?" But he noted, once she persuaded him todisengage her waist, she took his arm in a clinging, snuggling embrace and measured her stride to his. On theinstant he was thinking how natural and unaffected her manner was now that the ice between them had beenbroken.
And how she went on babbling! She liked Lycurgus, only she thought it was the most religious town she hadever been in--worse than Biltz or Trippetts Mills that way. And then she had to explain to Clyde what Biltz andTrippetts Mills were like--and her home--a very little, for she did not care to talk about that. And then back to theNewtons and Grace Marr and how they watched her every move. Clyde was thinking as she talked how differentshe was from Hortense Briggs or Rita, or any other girl he had ever known--so much more simple andconfiding--not in any way mushy as was Rita, or brash or vain or pretentious, as was Hortense, and yet really aspretty and so much sweeter. He could not help thinking if she were smartly dressed how sweet she would be.
And again he was wondering what she would think of him and his attitude toward Hortense in contrast to hisattitude toward her now, if she knew.
"You know," he said at the very first opportunity, "I've been trying to talk to you ever since you came to work atthe factory but you see how very watchful every one is. They're the limit. They told me when I came up therethat I mustn't interest myself in any girl working there and so I tried not to. But I just couldn't help this, could I?"He squeezed her arm affectionately, then stopped suddenly and, disengaging his arm from hers, put both hisabout her. "You know, Roberta, I'm crazy about you. I really am. I think you're the dearest, sweetest thing. Oh,say! Do you mind my telling you? Ever since you showed up there, I haven't been able to sleep, nearly. You'vegot such nice eyes and hair. To-night you look just too cute--lovely, I think. Oh, Roberta," suddenly he caughther face between his two hands and kissed her, before really she could evade him. Then having done this he heldher while she resisted him, although it was almost impossible for her to do so. Instead she felt as though shewanted to put her arms around him or have him hold her tight, and this mood in regard to him and herselfpuzzled and troubled her. It was awful. What would people think--say--if they knew? She was a bad girl, really,and yet she wanted to be this way--near him--now as never before.
"Oh, you mustn't, Mr. Griffiths," she pleaded. "You really mustn't, you know. Please. Some one might see us. Ithink I hear some one coming. Please, now." She looked about quite frightened, apparently, while Clyde laughedecstatically. Life had presented him a delicious sweet at last. "You know I never did anything like this before,"she went on. "Honest, I didn't. Please. It's only because you said--"Clyde was pressing her close, not saying anything in reply--his pale face and dark hungry eyes held very close tohers. He kissed her again and again despite her protests, her little mouth and chin and cheeks seeming toobeautiful--too irresistible--then murmured pleadingly, for he was too overcome to speak vigorously.
"Oh, Roberta, dearest, please, please, say that you love me. Please do! I know that you do, Roberta. I can tell.