"You're not Bill," Sally said stupidly.

"No," the man smiled. "I'm not."

"Who are you?"

"The name is Duke," he said. "And I must say that you're about the prettiest filly I've laid eyes on in a long while."

"But I was expecting Bill," she said. "He's up there in the car."

"You must mean the fellow I saw driving away," Duke said. "He looked awful mad."

Sally was stunned. Bill couldn't have left her. Not Bill. She knew him too well. She knew how he would act when she got mad at him. He wasn't supposed to leave.

Then she realized that he might have found courage enough to leave but he would certainly be back. He wouldn't be able to just drive away. He wouldn't dare leave her out here for very long.

"I wonder what you could have done to make that fellow so mad," Duke said. "Did he try to get fresh or something?"

"None of your business," Sally said.

She was used to using her icy tone of voice on a boy. Usually the boy would just crumple up under that tone and allow her to have her way with anything she wanted. But Duke was no boy and he didn't tremble. He only smiled at her.

She tried to push her way past him and his strong fingers clamped around her wrist.

"Now I'm trying to be civil," Duke said. "Maybe I can help you."

"I doubt it," Sally said.

Sally tried to sound brave but she was growing afraid for the first time in her life. She could handle boys easily enough but this man was something else. She'd heard stories about young girls and men who found them alone. She felt a little weak in the knees.

"I'm just going to walk up to the highway," Sally said. "I'm sure to see someone I know who'll give me a ride."

"That sure is a long walk to the highway," Duke said. "You're sure to get them white shoes and the pretty yellow dress all covered with dirt. Why don't you let me drive you up there. My car is parked just over there."