So did he!Big,strong,clean,a red flower in his floppy straw hat band;and after he drove through the gate,he began a shrill,fifelike whistle you could have heard a half mile: "See the merry farmer boy,tramp the meadows through,Swing his hoe in careless joy,while dashing off the dew.
Bobolink in maple high,trills a note of glee,Farmer boy in gay reply now whistles cheerily."The chorus was all whistle,and it was written for folks who could.It went up until it almost split the echoes,and Laddie could easily sail a measure above the notes.He did it too.As for me,I kept from sight.For a week Laddie whistled and plowed.He wore that tune threadbare,and got an almost continuous pucker on his lips.Leon said if he didn't stop whistling,and sing more,the girls would think he was doing a prunes and prisms stunt.So after that he sang the words,and whistled the chorus.But he made no excuse to go,and he didn't go,to Pryors'.When Sunday came,he went to Westchester to see Elizabeth,and stayed until Monday morning.Not once that week did the Princess ride past our house,or her father either.By noon Monday Laddie was back in the field,and I had all I could bear.He was neither whistling nor singing so much now,because he was away at the south end,where he couldn't be seen or heard at Pryors'.He almost scoured the skin from him,and he wore his gloves more carefully than usual.If he soiled his clothing in the least,and it looked as if he would make more than his share of work,he washed the extra pieces at night.
Tuesday morning I hurried with all my might,and then I ran to the field where he was.I climbed on the fence,sat there until he came up,and then I gave him some cookies.He stopped the horses,climbed beside me and ate them.Then he put his arms around me and hugged me tight.
"Laddie,do you know I did it?"I wailed.
"Did you now?"said Laddie."No,I didn't know for sure,but I had suspicions.You always have had such a fondness for that particular piece of tinware.""But Laddie,it means so much!"
"Doesn't it?"said Laddie."A few days ago no one could have convinced me that it meant anything at all to me,or ever could.
Just look at me now!"
"Don't joke,Laddie!Something must be done.""Well,ain't I doing it?"asked Laddie."Look at all these acres and acres of Jim-dandy plowing!""Don't!"I begged."Why don't you go over there?""No use,Chicken,"said Laddie."You see her exact stipulation was that I must CHANGE MY OCCUPATION before I came again.""What does she want you to do?"
"Law,I think.Unfortunately,I showed her a letter from Jerry asking me to enter his office this fall.""Hadn't you better do it,Laddie?"
"How would you like to be shut in little,stuffy rooms,and set to droning over books and papers every hour of the day,all your life,and to spend the best of your brain and bodily strength straightening out other men's quarrels?""Oh Laddie,you just couldn't!"I cried.
"Precisely!"said Laddie."I just couldn't,and I just won't!""What can you do?"
"I might compromise on stock,"he said."I could follow the same occupation as her father,and with better success.Neither he nor his men get the best results from horses.They don't understand them,especially the breeds they are attempting to handle.Most Arab horsemen are tent dwellers.They travel from one oasis to another with their stock.At night their herds are gathered around them as children.As children they love them,pet them,feed them.Each is named for a divinity,a planet or a famous ruler,and the understanding between master and beast is perfect.Honestly,Little Sister,I think you have got to believe in the God of Israel,in order to say the right word to an Arabian horse;and I know you must believe in the God of love.
A beast of that breed,jerked,kicked,and scolded is a fine horse ruined.If I owned half the stock Mr.Pryor has over there,I could put it in such shape for market that I could get twice from it what his men will.""Are Thomas and James rough with the horses?""`Like master,like man,'"quoted Laddie."They are!They are foolish with the Kentucky strain,and fools with the Arab;and yet,that combination beats the world.But I must get on with the P.C.job."He slid from the fence,took a drink from his water jug,and pulled a handful of grass for each horse.As he stood feeding them,I almost fell from the top rail.
"Laddie!"I whispered."Look!Mr.Pryor is halfway across the field on Ranger.""So?"said Laddie."Now I wonder----"
"Shall I go?"
"No indeed !"said Laddie."Stay right where you are.It can't be anything of much importance."At first it didn't seem to be.They talked about the weather,the soil,the team.Laddie scooped a handful of black earth,and holding it out,told Mr.Pryor all about how good it was,and why,and he seemed interested.Then they talked about everything;until if he had been Jacob Hood,he would have gone away.But just at the time when I expected him to start,he looked at Laddie straight and hard.
"I missed you Sabbath evening,"he said.
Then I looked at him.He had changed,some way.He seemed more human,more like our folks,less cold and stern.
"I sincerely hope it was unanimous,"said Laddie.
Mr.Pryor had to laugh.
"It was a majority,at any rate."
Laddie stared dazed.You see that was kind of a joke.An easy one,because I caught it;but we were not accustomed to expecting a jest from Mr.Pryor.Not one of us dreamed there was a joke between his hat crown and his boot soles.Then Laddie laughed;but he sobered quickly.
"I'm mighty sorry if Mrs.Pryor missed me,"he said."I thought of her.I have grown to be her devoted slave,and I hoped she liked me.""You put it mildly,"said Mr.Pryor."Since you didn't come when she expected you,we've had the worst time with her that we have had since we reached this da--ah--er--um--this country.""Could you make any suggestion?"asked Laddie.
"I could!I would suggest that you act like the sensible fellow I know you to be,and come as usual,at your accustomed times.""But I'm forbidden,man!"cried Laddie.
Ugh!Such awful things as Mr.Pryor said.
"Forbidden!"he cried."Is a man's roof his own,or is it not?
