He strode away, whistling, and the tune was full of courage and
determination. Loraine smiled as she listened. She stood a moment, then
opened the screen door and went in. The "Compact" swung and tilted with
the jolt of her energetic movements. She adjusted it with a queer little
smile.

For summer days on summer days the covert, earnest lessons went on
beside the bit of sunny water. Teacher and pupil pored intently over the
problems and difficult passages, and steadily the pupil's courage grew.
The old sullen look had vanished--Jane Cotton's Sam put on manliness and
a splendid swing to his shoulders. In her heart Loraine exulted. What if
she were disobeying the Compact--death to the Wicked Compact!

Laura Ann suspected, but for reasons of her own kept her own counsel.
She had begun to suspect, when Jane Cotton's Sam brought the little
fish. At that time the "reasons of her own" had begun to influence her
and she had omitted to mention to Billy and T.O. that the boy had stood
on the doorsteps in earnest conversation with Loraine. Mentioning it to
Billy might not, indeed, have mattered, since Billy was already an
"outsider." But Loraine might not want T.O. to know, anyway.

It was significant that Laura Ann, in going in and out, now chose to
ignore the gayly-illuminated placard that swung on the door--that she
herself had adorned and hung there. But she did not go in and out as
much now; for whole mornings she slipped away to a little attic room
upstairs and busied herself alone.

It was getting grievously near the time to go back to the great city
again. Emmeline Camp was coming back then.