"Zora, I want my pin."
Bles started and stared; but Zora eyed her calmly with something like disdain.
"What pin?" she returned, unmoved.
"Zora, don't deny that you took my pin from the desk this afternoon," the teacher commanded severely.
"I didn't say I didn't take no pin."
"Persons who will lie and steal will do anything."
"Why shouldn't people do anything they wants to?"
"And you knew the pin was mine."
"I saw you a-wearing of it," admitted Zora easily.
"Then you have stolen it, and you are a thief."
Still Zora appeared to be unimpressed with the heinousness of her fault.
"Did you make that pin?" she asked.
"No, but it is mine."
"Why is it yours?"
"Because it was given to me."
"But you don't need it; you've got four other prettier ones--I counted."
"That makes no difference."
"Yes it does--folks ain't got no right to things they don't need."
"That makes no difference, Zora, and you know it. The pin is mine. You stole it. If you had wanted a pin and asked me I might have given you--"
The girl blazed.
"I don't want your old gifts," she almost hissed. "You don't own what you don't need and can't use. God owns it and I'm going to send it back to Him."
With a swift motion she whipped the pin from her pocket and raised her arm to hurl it into the swamp. Bles caught her hand. He caught it lightly and smiled sorrowfully into her eyes. She wavered a moment, then the answering light sprang to her face. Dropping the brooch into his hand, she wheeled and fled toward the cabin.
Bles handed it silently to Miss Taylor. Mary Taylor was beside herself with impatient anger--and anger intensified by a conviction of utter helplessness to cope with any strained or unusual situations between herself and these two.
"Alwyn," she said sharply, "I shall report Zora for stealing. And you may report yourself to Miss Smith tonight for disrespect toward a teacher."