“Ain’t ye mighty brash, Jabe?” demanded the snarling voice of Parloe, and Ruth knew the first speaker to be her uncle.  “Who are yeou ter drive me away?”

“The last time ye was at the mill I lost something—­ I lost more than I kin afford to lose again,” continued Uncle Jabez.  “I don’t say ye took it.  They tell me the flood took it.  But I’m going to know the right of it some time, and if you know more about it than you ought—­”

“What air ye talkin’ about, Jabe Potter?” shrilled Parloe.  “I’ve lost money by you; ye ain’t never paid me for the last month I worked for ye.”

“Ye paid yerself—­ ye paid yerself,” said Jabe, tartly.  “And if ye stole once ye would again—­”

“Now stop right there, Jabe Potter!” cried Parloe, and Ruth knew that he had stepped closer to Mr. Potter, and was speaking in a trembling rage.  “Don’t ye intermate an’ insinerate; for if ye do, I kin fling out some insinerations likewise.  Yeou jest open yer mouth about me stealin’ an’ I’ll put a flea in old man Cameron’s ear.  Ha!  Ye know what I mean.  Better hev a care, Jabe Potter—­ better hev a care!”

There was silence.  Her uncle made no reply, and Ruth, fearing she would be seen, and not wishing to be thought an eavesdropper (although the conversation had so surprised and terrified her that she had not thought what she did, before) the girl ran lightly up the hill, leaving the two old men to their wrangle.  When Uncle Jabez came in to supper that evening his scowl was heavier than usual, if that were possible, and he did not speak to either Ruth or Aunt Alvirah all the evening.

CHAPTER XV

 In school

Ruth thought it all over, and she came to this conclusion:  Uncle Jabez had given his permission—­ albeit a grumpy one—­ and she would begin school on Monday.  The black cloth dress that was so shabby and would look so odd and proverty-stricken among the frocks of the other girls (for she had watched them going to and from school, and already knew some of them to speak to) would have to be worn, if possible, through the term.  Perhaps Uncle Jabez might notice how shabby she looked, finally, and give her something more appropriate to wear.  Especially as it had been through him that her other frocks were lost.

But it was not an easy thing to face a whole schoolroom full of girls and boys—­ and most of them strangers to her—­ looking so “dowdyish.”  Ruth’s love of pretty things was born in her.  She had always taken pride in her appearance, and she felt her shortcomings in this line quicker and more acutely than most girls of her age.

She faced the school on Monday morning and found it not so hard as she had supposed.  Miss Cramp welcomed her kindly, and put her through quite a thorough examination to decide her grade.  The Darrowtown schools had been so good that Ruth was able to take a high place in this one, and the teacher seated her among the most advanced of her pupils, although Ruth was younger than some of them.