"When father comes home from market and finds me gone!" Tillie said--but there was exultation, rather than fear, in her voice.

"When you show him your certificate, won"t that appease him? When he realizes how much more you can earn by teaching than by working for your aunt, especially as he bore none of the expense of giving you your education? It was your own hard labor, and none of his money, that did it! And now I suppose he"ll get all the profit of it!" Fairchilds could not quite keep down the rising indignation in his voice.

"No," said Tillie, quietly, though the color burned in her face.

"Walter! I"m going to refuse to give father my salary if I am elected to a school. I mean to save my money to go to the Normal--where Miss Margaret is."

"So long as you are under age, he can take it from you, Tillie."

"If the school I teach is near enough for me to live at home, I"ll pay my board. More than that I won"t do."

"But how are you going to help yourself?"

"I haven"t made up my mind, yet, how I"m going to do it. It will be the hardest struggle I"ve ever had--to stand out against him in such a thing," Tillie continued; "but I will not be weak, I will not! I have studied and worked all these years in the hope of a year at the Normal--with Miss Margaret. And I won"t falter now!"

Before he could reply to her almost impa.s.sioned earnestness, they were startled by the sound of footsteps behind them in the woods--the heavy steps of men. Involuntarily, they both stopped short, Tillie with the feeling of one caught in a stolen delight; and Fairchilds with mingled annoyance at the interruption, and curiosity as to who might be wandering in this unfrequented patch of woods.

"I seen "em go out up in here!"

It was the voice of Absalom. The answer came in the harsh, indignant tones of Mr. Getz. "Next time I leave her go to a Instytoot or such a Columbus Sallybration, she"ll stay at HOME! Wastin" time walkin" "round in the woods with that dude teacher!--and on a week-day, too!"

Tillie looked up at Fairchilds with an appeal that went to his heart.

Grimly he waited for the two.

"So here"s where you are!" cried Mr. Getz, striding up to them, and, before Fairchilds could prevent it, he had seized Tillie by the shoulder. "What you mean, runnin" off up here, heh? What you mean?" he demanded, shaking her with all his cruel strength.

"Stop that, you brute!" Fairchilds, unable to control his fury, drew back and struck the big man squarely on the chest. Getz staggered back, amazement at this unlooked-for attack for a moment getting the better of his indignation. He had expected to find the teacher cowed with fear at being discovered by a director and a director"s son in a situation displeasing to them.

"Let the child alone, you great coward--or I "ll horsewhip you!"

Getz recovered himself. His face was black with pa.s.sion. He lifted the horsewhip which he carried.

"You"ll horsewhip me--me, Jake Getz, that can put you off William Penn TO-MORROW if I want! Will you do it with this here? he demanded, grasping the whip more tightly and lifting it to strike--but before it could descend, Fairchilds wrenched it out of his hand.

"Yes," he responded, "if you dare to touch that child again, you shameless dog!"

Tillie, with anguished eyes, stood motionless as marble, while Absalom, with clenched fists, awaited his opportunity.

"If I dare!" roared Getz. "If I have dare to touch my own child!" He turned to Tillie. "Come along," he exclaimed, giving her a cuff with his great paw; and instantly the whip came down with stinging swiftness on his wrist. With a bellow of pain, Getz turned on Fairchilds, and at the same moment, Absalom sprang on him from behind, and with one blow of his brawny arm brought the teacher to the ground. Getz sprawled over his fallen antagonist and s.n.a.t.c.hed his whip from him.

"Come on, Absalom--we"ll learn him oncet!" he cried fiercely. "We"ll learn him what horsewhippin" is! We"ll give him a lickin" he won"t forget!"

Absalom laughed aloud in his delight at this chance to avenge his own defeat at the hands of the teacher, and with clumsy speed the two men set about binding the feet of the half-senseless Fairchilds with Absalom"s suspenders.

Tillie felt herself spellbound, powerless to move or to cry out.

"Now!" cried Getz to Absalom, "git back, and I"ll give it to him!"

The teacher, stripped of his two coats and bound hand and foot, was rolled over on his face. He uttered no word of protest, though they all saw that he had recovered consciousness. The truth was, he simply recognized the uselessness of demurring.

"Warm him up, so he don"t take cold!" shouted Absalom--and even as he spoke, Jake Getz"s heavy arm brought the lash down upon Fairchilds"s back.

At the spiteful sound, life came back to Tillie. Like a wild thing, she sprang between them, seized her father"s arm and hung upon it. "Listen to me! Listen! Father! If you strike him again, I"LL MARRY ABSALOM TO-MORROW!"

By inspiration she had hit upon the one argument that would move him.

Her father tried to shake her off, but she clung to his arm with the strength of madness, knowing that if she could make him grasp, even in his pa.s.sionate anger, the real import of her threat, he would yield to her.

"I"ll marry Absalom! I"ll marry him to-morrow!" she repeated.

"You da.r.s.ent--you ain"t of age! Let go my arm, or I"ll slap you ag"in!"

"I shall be of age in three months! I"ll marry Absalom if you go on with this!"

"That suits me!" cried Absalom. "Keep on with it, Jake!"

"If you do, I"ll marry him to-morrow!"

There was a look in Tillie"s eyes and a ring in her voice that her father had learned to know. Tillie would do what she said.

And here was Absalom "siding along with her" in her unfilial defiance!

Jacob Getz wavered. He saw no graceful escape from his difficulty.

"Look-ahere, Tillie! If I don"t lick this here feller, I"ll punish YOU when I get you home!"

Tillie saw that she had conquered him, and that the teacher was safe.

She loosed her hold of her father"s arm and, dropping on her knees beside Fairchilds began quickly to loosen his bonds. Her father did not check her.

"Jake Getz, you ain"t givin" in THAT easy?" demanded Absalom, angrily.

"She"d up and do what she says! I know her! And I ain"t leavin" her marry! You just wait"--he turned threateningly to Tillie as she knelt on the ground--"till I get you home oncet!"

Fairchilds staggered to his feet, and drawing Tillie up from the ground, he held her two hands in his as he turned to confront his enemies.

"You call yourselves men--you cowards and bullies! And you!" he turned his blazing eyes upon Getz, "you would work off your miserable spite on a weak girl--who can"t defend herself! Dare to touch a hair of her head and I"ll break YOUR d.a.m.ned head and every bone in your Body! Now take yourselves off, both of you, you curs, and leave us alone!"

"My girl goes home along with me!" retorted the furious Getz. "And YOU--you "ll lose your job at next Board Meetin", Sat.u.r.day night! So you might as well pack your trunk! Here!" He laid his hand on Tillie"s arm, but Fairchilds drew her to him and held his arm about her waist, while Absalom, darkly scowling, stood uncertainly by.

"Leave her with me. I must talk with her. MUST, I say. Do you hear me?

She--"

His words died on his lips, as Tillie"s head suddenly fell forward on his shoulder, and, looking down, Fairchilds saw that she had fainted.

XXII

THE DOC CONCOCTS A PLOT