Wing looked up at him with an uncomprehending stare, wriggled from
under his detaining hand, stopped long enough to shake his head with a
stolid "_No sabe_," and then dodged away.

Annie had heard the little dialogue and now turned to Ellison with a
merry laugh. Her friend had not come, and as they walked back together
she began to rally him about Wing's refusal to understand anything he
said. It nettled him slightly and he replied that people made entirely
too much of the little ape, and that if they would teach him better
manners instead of petting him so much, it would be a good thing for
him as well as for the public comfort.

Then Annie took up his case rather warmly and declared that he was a
cute little thing, and that his manners were all right if he was
treated with good manners in the first place. The consequence was that
by the time they reached her gate they were deep in the lurid
entanglements of a lovers' quarrel.

The previous day she had taken a horseback ride with a man of whom
Ellison strongly disapproved. He had intended to explain the matter to
her calmly and tell her just what kind of man the other was, and why it
was unwise for her to accept his attentions. But in the heat of temper
engendered by their quarrel about Wing, he lost his bearings, and what
he had meant should be a request for her not to show the man any favor
again became very like an explicit command.

Annie asked him sarcastically if he thought he had bought with his
engagement ring a slave who was never to open her mouth unless he gave
her leave. Then, feeling a bit ashamed of his vehemence and mentally
fumbling for words of explanation, he began to say something about what