'Yes, I went to see Mr. Arthur Tracy, but could get no answer to my
knock,' Harold promptly replied, while his face flushed scarlet, and he
seemed annoyed at something. He could not explain to Charles his motive
in going to see Arthur, as, now that the first burst of indignation was
over, he felt half ashamed of it himself. On the afternoon of the day of
the party he had been at Grassy Spring, helping Mrs. St. Claire with her
flowers, and after his work was done he had gone with Dick into the
billiard-room, where they found Tom Tracy and his friend, young Raymond.
They had come over for a game, and the four boys were soon busily
engaged in the contest. Harold, who had often played with Dick and was
something of an expert, proved himself the most skilful of them all,
greatly to the chagrin of Tom, who had not recognized him even by a nod.
Dick, on the contrary, had introduced him to Fred Raymond with as much
ceremony as if he had been the Governor's son, instead of the boy who
sometimes worked in his mother's flower garden. And the Kentuckian had
taken him by the hand and greeted him cordially, with a familiar:
'How d'ye do, Hastings? Glad to make your acquaintance'
There was nothing snobbish about Fred Raymond, whose every instinct was
gentlemanly and kind, and Harold felt at ease with him at once, and all
through the game appeared at his best, and quite as well bred as either
of his companions.
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