"I should think not, Chicken Little, and you needn't worry. You're nothing but a kid yet, but by the time you're eighteen, Mamie Jenkins won't hold a candle to you. And while I think of it, Sis, the less you see of Mamie the better. And I don't want you playing any more kissing games--you're too big." "Humph, you just said I was nothing but a kid. You're as bad as Mother." Ernest was not to be diverted. "None of your dodging. I want you to promise me you won't." Chicken Little considered. "It isn't that I want to play them," she argued, "but if I don't, I'll have to sit and look on and all the old folks'll ask me if I'm not well, and the girls'll say I'm stuck up. It wasn't as easy as you seem to think, Ernest Morton, but I'll promise, if you'll promise not to kiss any girl while you're gone." "Nonsense, Jane, you don't understand. It's different with a boy." Chicken Little fixed her brown eyes upon Ernest's face musingly. "How is it different?" "Chicken Little Jane Morton, haven't you had any raising? You know as well as I do it isn't nice for a girl to let boys kiss her." Chicken Little considered. "You needn't be so toploftical; girls don't want most boys to kiss 'em." "Most?" "That's what I said. I hated it when Grant kissed me at Mamie's party, but I don't know that I'd mind if Sherm----" She got no further. Ernest bristled with brotherly indignation. "Has Sherm ever----" "Of course not, Sherm wouldn't! I guess it's because I know he wouldn't, that I shouldn't much mind if he did." Chicken Little said this soberly, but her face grew a little red. Ernest's brotherly eyes were observant. "Oh, Sherm's all right, but Sis, I want that promise." "I told you I'd promise if you would." Chicken Little drew her lips together in a firm way. "But I can't--it would be silly--I might look ridiculous sometime if I refused. The fellows would guy me if they knew I made such a promise." "Well, I just told you they'd guy me if I refused to do what the others do." "But, Chicken Little, it isn't nice." "I guess I know that as well as you do. And I don't know that I shall ever play that kind of games again, but I'm not going to promise if you won't. Boys don't need to think they can do everything they want to, just because they're boys. You don't want anybody to kiss me, but I'd like to know how you are going to kiss a girl without making somebody else's sister do something that isn't nice, Ernest Morton." The discussion ended there. Ernest was not very worldly wise himself, and Chicken Little's reasoning was certainly logical. They had but little time to talk after that. The cattle began to roam restlessly once more and they were in the saddle pretty constantly for the remainder of the afternoon. Ernest took the trouble to lift her down from Calico when they reached the stable that evening, an unusual attention. He also gave her a shy kiss on the cheek and whispered: "I'll promise, Sis. I don't know but you are about half right."