"Now, Barbara, you say you know how I feel toward you. You are the girl of all girls in the world for me. And now you won't spurn me, will you?" he said entreatingly. Barbara's lips quivered and she seemed about to lose control of herself. However, after a little period of silence and struggle, she suppressed her feelings sufficiently to speak: "I couldn't _spurn_ you," she said. Then, after another pause: "Maybe you don't care any more for me than I do for you. But I'm in such trouble--that I can't tell what to say. Won't you wait and give me a little time? Things may be better after a while." "How long shall I stay away? A week?" Mason's voice had a note of protest in it. "Don't be hurt," she said, lifting her eyes timidly to his. "But I'm in such a hard place. Let me have two weeks or so to think about it, and see how things are going to turn." It was not that Barbara saw any chance for a change of circumstances, but that she could not resolve to decide the question either way, and wished to escape from her present perplexity by postponement. "Just as you say," said Mason, regretfully; "but I tell you, Barbara, it's two weeks of dead lost time." Then he got up and held out his hand to her. "Good-bye, Barbara." "Good-bye, Mr. Mason." "Oh, call me Hiram! It's more friendly, and you call all the other young men by their first names." "But you're the master." "I'm not the master of you, that's clear. Besides, you've left school." He was holding her hand in gentle protest all this time. "Well, good-bye--Hiram!" said Barbara, with a visible effort which ended in a little laugh. Mason let go of her hand and turned abruptly and walked out of the door, and then swiftly down the meadow path. Barbara stood and looked after him as long as she could see his form; then she slowly shut and latched the kitchen door and came and covered with ashes the remaining embers of the fire, and took the candle from the mantel-piece and went through the now vacant sitting-room to her chamber above. X THE AFFAIR AT TIMBER CREEK CAMP MEETING