"I believe it was Miss Hope Wayne's."

"You believe, Gyles? Why don't you speak out?"

"Well, Sir, the fact is that Abel Newt says she had a purple ribbon on
her bonnet--"

"She hadn't," said Gabriel, breaking in, impetuously. "She had a
beautiful blue ribbon, and lilies of the valley inside, and a white
lace vail, and--"

Gabriel stopped and turned very red, for he caught Abel Newt's eyes fixed
sharply upon him.

"Oh ho! the text was there, was it?" asked Mr. Gray, smiling.

But Abel Newt only said, quietly:

"Oh well! I guess it _was_ a blue ribbon after all."




CHAPTER VI.

EXPERIMENTUM CRUCIS.


"The truth is, Gyles;" said Abel to Blanding, his chum, "Gabriel Bennet's
mother ought to come and take him home for the summer to play with the