manner. Of course, however, it was trying to even a highly spiritual
nature like his to have Polk insist on pinning a rose in my hair right
before his eyes.

About Polk I feel that I am in the midst of one of those great calm,
oily stretches of ocean that a ship is rocked gently in for a few hours
before the storm tosses it first to Heaven and then to hell. He is so
psychic, and in a way attuned to me, that he partly understands my
purpose in declaring my love for him to put him at a disadvantage in his
love-making to me, and he hasn't let me do it yet, while his tacit suit
goes on. It is a drawn battle between us and is going to be fought to
the death. In the meantime Nell--

And while I was on the porch sitting with Richard Hall's letter in my
hand, still unread, Nell herself came down the front walk and sat down
beside me.

"Why, I thought you had gone fishing with Polk," I said as I cuddled her
up to me a second. She laid her head on my shoulder and heaved such a
sigh that it shook us both.

"I didn't quite like to go with him alone and Henrietta wouldn't go
because a bee had stung the red-headed twin, and she wanted to stay to
scold Sallie," she answered with both hesitation and depression in her
voice.

"Polk is--is strenuous for a whole day's companionship," I answered,
experimentally, for I saw the time had come to exercise some of the
biceps in Nell's femininity in preparation for just what I knew she was
to get from Polk. My heart ached for what I knew she was suffering. I