them," said the girl. "I thank you for the unintentional compliment."
Then she walked straight back to my table. "I can't help it," she said,
laughing still, and her delightful, insolent nose well up; "how can I
behave myself when a man goes on as you do?" A nice white curly dog
followed her, and she stroked his ears.

"Your behavior is very agreeable to me," I remarked.

"You'll allow me to say that you're not invited to criticise it. I was
decidedly put out with you for making me ridiculous. But you have admired
my cake with such enthusiasm that you are forgiven. And--may I hope that
you are getting on famously with the battle of Cowpens?"

I stared. "I'm frankly very much astonished that you should know about
that!"

"Oh, you're just known all about in Kings Port."

I wish that our miserable alphabet could in some way render the soft
Southern accent which she gave to her words. But it cannot. I could
easily misspell, if I chose; but how, even then, could I, for instance,
make you hear her way of saying "about"? "Aboot" would magnify it; and
besides, I decline to make ugly to the eye her quite special English,
that was so charming to the ear.

"Kings Port just knows all about you," she repeated with a sweet and
mocking laugh.

"Do you mind telling me how?"