Patricia Read Online Free PDF Page B

discovering the red streak, “It’s just sweat and blood !” he shouted. “See there !” He hunted out a grubby handkerchief and mopped it over his hands and face and held it forth all bloody. “See what that little old cat did ta me? She’s a little devil, she is!”
    Patricia was surveying him with contempt, and suddenly Thorny caught her glance and writhed in his naughty young heart. He’d get even with her!
    He struggled to his feet and dashed down the hill a few steps to Gloria.
    â€œCome on, Glory. I’ll go with you ! I ain’t going ta have anything more to do with that little cat. She’s a regular panther-cat, she is. She’s a—a—a—a!” He searched his mind for the right adjective to couple with cat.
    â€œ Hellcat! ” he shouted, as Patricia turned and walked with stately tread back up the hill.
    The girls were greatly impressed. They giggled.
    â€œOh, Thorny!” Gloria applauded. It sounded very grown-up and sophisticated to her. “Say it again, Thorny! That’ll make her awful mad!” Gloria was ordinarily proud to call herself a friend of Patricia’s, but she couldn’t resist the temptation to get in with handsome twelve-year-old Thorny who had never looked at her before.
    â€œSay it again, Thorny!” she urged eagerly, grasping his none-too-clean hand fervently.
    And Thorny said it again, screamed it, several times, standing halfway down the hill looking back at his former dancing partner as she walked across to the path that led up to her father’s house, paying no attention whatever to the epithets that were being flung freely up the hill after her now, amid an admiring audience of her own companions.
    Suddenly it grew very still, ominously still down the hill there, but Patricia did not pause, nor waver, nor turn to look. She walked steadily on, swinging her skates by their strap as nonchalantly as if nothing had happened.
    Thorny could not have done what happened next if there had not been a worn, beaten path from the top of the hill to the bottom, made by many young feet who had gone that way for the last few days. Quite silently and cautiously, he stole back up that hill after Patricia. Before she was at all aware he was upon her. The little company of admirers who had heard him announce his intention stood below in breathless silence, waiting to see if he could accomplish it.
    Deftly, as he reached her side, Thorny leaned forward and snatched the strap of Patricia’s skates from her, almost whirling her from her footing. Then he turned and dashed down the hill.
    Patricia did not cry out. Instead, she stood there for an instant and gazed after Thorny, appalled. Those were her new skates, a recent gift from her father, the skates she had so longed for, and this was to have been the first time she had worn them since trying them out in company with her father. And now they were in Thorny’s power, and there was no telling whether she would ever see them again! Or if she did, whether they would not be broken, dulled, spoiled in some way. He was perfectly capable of it, she was sure, and he would stop at nothing to have vengeance on her.
    For just that second’s time she surveyed the young hoodlum, and then her firm childish lips set themselves and her eyes flashed fire! That should not happen! Thorny should not spoil her lovely skates!
    A quick glance around her showed her a handy weapon. A long branch of an oak tree, broken down and flung by the side of the path. There were dried brown leaves still clinging to its twigs, and particles of ice.
    With a quick flashing movement like a bird, she swooped and caught it up, then plunged down the hill after Thorny. Her motion as she went was still like a bird in its flight. Her feet scarcely seemed to touch the ground, so swiftly they went. She seemed to have no fear of losing her footing; it was as if she could not fall because she was skimming over