"Dic, you know you went to see Sukey, and that you spent the evening with her." "Did she say I did?" he asked, turning sharply upon her. "Well--" replied Rita, but she did not continue. The Sukey Yates road _was_ interesting, unusually so. Dic paused for an answer, but receiving none, continued with emphasis:-- "I did not go into the house. I wasn't there five minutes, and I didn't say ten words to Sukey." "You need not get mad about it," replied the girl. "I don't care how often you go to see Sukey or any other girl." "I know you don't," he returned. "Of course you don't care. I never hoped--never even dreamed--that you would," and his breath came quickly with his bold, bold words. "You might as well begin to dream," thought the girl, but she laughed, this time nervously, and said, "She told me you were there and took--took hold of--that is, she said you were so strong that when you took hold of her she felt that you could crush her." Then forgetting herself for a moment, she moved quite close to Dic and asked, "_Did_ you take--take--" but she stopped. "Tell me, Rita," returned Dic, with a sharpness that attracted her attention at once, "did she say I took hold of her, or are you trying to tease me? If you are teasing, I think it is in bad taste. If she said--" "Well," interrupted the girl, slightly frightened, "she said that when you take hold of one--" "Oh, she did not say herself?" asked Dic. "I don't see that she could have meant any one else," replied Rita. "But, dear me, I don't care how often you take hold of her; you need not get angry at me because you took hold of her. There can be no harm in taking hold of any one, I'm sure, if you choose to do so; but why one should do it, I don't know, and I'm sure I don't care." No _ex post facto_ resolution could cure that lie, though of course it is a privileged one to a girl. Dic made no reply, save to remark: "I'll see Miss Sukey to-morrow. If I wanted to 'take hold' of her, as she calls it, I would do so, but--but I'll see her to-morrow." The answer startled Rita. She did not want to be known as a tale-bearer. Especially did she object in this particular case; therefore she said:-- "You may see her if you wish, but you shall not speak to her of what I have told you. She would think--" "Let her think what she chooses," he replied. "I have never 'taken hold' of her in my life. Lord knows, I might if I wanted to. All the other boys boast that they take turn about, but--. She would be a fool to tell if it were true, and a story-teller if not. So I'll settle the question to-morrow, and for all time." A deal of trouble might have been saved had Rita permitted him to make the settlement with Sukey, but she did not. The infinite potency of little things is one of the paradoxes of life. "No, you shall not speak of this matter to her," she said, moving close to him upon the log and putting her hand upon his arm coaxingly. "Promise me you will not."