a corker, though! Why, I thought sure you'd----"

"Silly boy!" says she. "I'll just have to pay you for that. You will
think horrid things of me, will you? There!"

She does things in a flash when she cuts loose too. Next I knew she
has her fingers in what Eulalia calls my crimson crest and is rumplin'
up all them curls I'd been so careful to slick back. I grabbed her
wrists, and it was more or less of a rough-house scene we was indulgin'
in, when all of a sudden the draperies are brushed back, and in stalks
Aunty, with Cousin Eulalia trailin' behind.

"Ver-ona!" Talk about havin' a pitcher of cracked ice slipped down
your back! Say, there was more chills in that one word than ever blew
down from Medicine Hat. "What," goes on Aunty, "does this mean?"

"It--it's a new game," says I, grinnin' foolish.

"As old as Satan, I should say!" raps out Aunty.

"Why," squeals Cousin Eulalia gushy, "here is our Unknown Knight, the
first to come back with his tribute! Let's see, what was it you said
you were going to do? Oh, I know--take a chance on something fresh,
wasn't it? Well?"

"Ye-e-es," says I. "And I guess I did."

"Trust him for that!" snorts Aunty. "Young man, at our last interview
I thought I made it quite clear that I should not expect you to return?"