never dreamed you'd mind! David, truly, I like you best of any
boy I know;--only, of course now, being engaged to Blair, I have
to like him best?"

"Yes that's so," David admitted.

"Truly, I like you dreadfully, David. If I'd supposed you'd mind--
But, oh, David, it's so interesting to be engaged. I really
can't stop. I'd have to give him back my ring!" she said in an
agonized voice. She pressed her hand against her breast, and poor
David's eyes followed the ardent gesture.

"It's all right," he said with a gulp.

Elizabeth was ready to cry; she dropped her head on his shoulder
and began to bemoan herself. "Why on earth didn't you _say_
something? How could I know? How stupid you are, David! If I'd
known you minded, I'd just as lief have been engaged to--"
Elizabeth stopped short. She sat up very straight, and put her
hand to the neck of her dress to make sure it was fastened. At
that moment a new sense was born in her; for the first time since
they had known each other, her straightforward eyes--the sexless
eyes of a child--faltered, and refused to meet David's. "I think
maybe Cherry-pie wants me now," she said shyly, and slipped away,
leaving David mournfully eating green grapes in the arbor. This
was the last time that Elizabeth, uninvited, put her head on a
boy's shoulder.

A week later she confided to Miss White the great fact of her
engagement; but she was not so excited about it by that time. For