Grant threw his own line in, seating himself a little lower down on the bank; and quiet reigned for several minutes. But the boy was determined to get the secret from her. After a tedious silence, he began in a low tone so that he would not disturb the fish: "You know, Chicken Little, I always did think you were the prettiest girl in school, but you were such a kid you never took the trouble to look at a fellow. Seems to me you might be nice now and tell me what you did." He neglected to mention the fact that he had bet Mamie a silk handkerchief against a plate of taffy that he would find out what they had been up to before night. He received no response. "Oh, come now, be a trump and tell a fellow." He glanced around this time with a tenderly reproachful look. This tenderness speedily vanished. Jane was peacefully asleep, her head supported against the tree trunk. The boy's face flushed wrathfully for an instant, but he had a saving sense of humor. "Serves me right for trying to get the best of a kid, I guess," he said to himself. He let her sleep on undisturbed until the sound of voices announced the approach of some of the others, when he hastily wakened her. He did not intend to be laughed at for the rest of the day. Chicken Little found it hard to wake up and was heavy-eyed and stupid the remainder of the afternoon. Fortunately for her and Katy, Ernest had orders from his mother to be home by dark. Patient Gertie was waiting expectantly to hear about the good times, but she could hardly extract three words from either of the revellers. Parties and boys and finery were all stale, but their neatly made bed looked like heaven. Chapter IX BREAD AND POLLIWOGS Three days elapsed before Katy and Jane could settle down to the quiet, daily life of the ranch. If Gertie had found them disappointingly mute that first evening, she never had to complain again. They went over and over the thrilling events of the night and the picnic the next afternoon, till Gertie got sick of hearing what "Mamie said" and how _he_ looked and how wonderful the serenade had been. Indeed, these events seemed to grow in importance the farther off they were. Gertie was seldom pettish, but Katy's seventeenth repetition of what Grant Stowe's cousin said to her while they were fishing left her cold. "Shut up, Katy, I'm sick of hearing about it. I don't care what he said and I just know he thought you were a silly little girl trying to seem grown up when you aren't! You know Mother wouldn't like you to act so, and I guess Mrs. Morton'd be ashamed of you, too, if she knew." "Gertie Halford, if you dare tell!" "Thank you, I'm no tattle tale! I intend to forget all about it as soon as ever I can. But I know Sherm thought you were silly from something he said."