The statement was not made ungraciously nor sullenly; it was merely as though the girl were unutterably weary and could not imagine anyone taking a legitimate interest in her or her affairs.
Billie said nothing, but handed out sandwiches and cake, which the girl accepted ravenously.
“I’m hungry,” she said simply. “I haven’t had a bite to eat since noon.”
“You should have come in to supper,” said Billie, nibbling at a piece of the matchless cake. “Debsy might have given you a bad mark for being late, but she couldn’t have kept you from eating your supper.”
“I didn’t want any then. I couldn’t go in and face those jeering, snickering girls.” Edina Tooker clenched her hands and spoke with a sudden, desperate vehemence. “They think I’m a big joke and I--I hate them. I could kill them all!”
Billie waited patiently for the storm to pass. Then she said gently:
“Have a piece of cake, Edina. You’ve no idea how good it is.”
“I don’t want any cake,” said Edina sullenly. She sat up, very stiff and straight, her hands locked about her humped knees. “I don’t want anything. To-morrow I’m going back home.”
“Three Towers has no use for me. I ain’t ever been so unhappy in my life as I’ve been since I come--came--here. I never dreamed it would be like this.”
“What did you think it would be like?” asked Billie gently.
“I don’t know--exactly. But I thought people would be kind and I’d have a chance to git some book learnin’ like I never had in my life. And I always wanted it, ever since I was old enough to ride my own cow pony. And now I--I gotta go home.”
There was a choke in the quiet, sullen voice. Billie guessed what it would mean for Edina to return to the “cow country,” carrying wounds that would never heal.
“I wouldn’t do that, if I were you, Edina. I wouldn’t run away.”
It was dark down there by the lake, but Billie could sense the quick motion of the girl’s head as it turned toward her.
“You oughtn’t to say that to me.” After a while she added in a hopeless tone:
“Mebbe it would be runnin’ away like you say, mebbe it would be quittin’. Jest the same,” her voice rose passionately, “I’d ruther be horsewhipped than stand another week like the one I’ve just gone through!”
Billie waited a moment, then reached out and touched Edina’s clenched fist where it rested on her voluminous skirt.