"
And Nance's face, which had unconsciously stiffened at Tom's words,
glowed again at Gard's revelation of the natural man in him, and her
eyes shone with various emotions--doubts, hopes, fears, and a keen
interest in what would follow.
The first thing that followed was the dish of butter, which hurtled past
Gard's head and crashed into the face of the clock, and then fell with a
flop to the earthen floor.
The next was Tom's lowered head and cumbrous body, as he charged like a
bull into Gard and both rolled to the ground, the table escaping
catastrophe by a hair's-breadth.
Mrs. Hamon had sprung up with clasped hands and piteous face. Nance and
Bernel had sprung up also, with distress in their faces but still more
of interest. They had come to a certain reliance on Gard's powers, and
how many and many a time had they longed to be able to give Tom a
well-deserved thrashing!
Through the open door of her room came Grannie's hard little voice, "Now
then! Now then! What are you about there?" but no one had time to tell
her.
Gard was up in a moment, panting hard, for Tom's bull-head had caught
him in the wind.
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