whole county out to me?

But I could not bring myself to leave
her. She was leaning forward and
looking at me now with mocking eyes.

"Are you afraid?" she demanded.

"Afraid of what?" I asked, knowing
quite well what she meant.

"Of me?" she retorted.

At that second an agreeable truth
overtook me. I leaned forward, too,
and put my hand on hers.

"Why, I like you!" I cried. She be-
gan laughing again, but this time there
was no mockery in it. She ran her fin-
gers over the embroidery on my linen
frock, she examined the lace on my pet-
ticoat, looked at the bows on my shoes,
and played delicately with the locket
dangling from the slender chain around
my neck.

"Do you know -- other girls?" she al-
most whispered.