"How could we be friends? You are not in the school, and I never go away. Besides, I don’t see what would be the use." "Don’t you like me at all?" he asked, putting on the tone which had turned many a girl’s head. "Why, I don’t know you even a little bit. How could I like you? Besides, why should I?" answered Dawn frankly. "You are deliriously plain-spoken." She caught her lip between her teeth in a vexed way. Why would he persist in talking to her as if she were a child? "There, now I have vexed you again," he said, pretending to be much dismayed, "but indeed you misunderstand me. I do not look upon you as a child at all. Many a girl is married at your age, and you will soon be a lovely woman. I want you for my friend. Are you not willing?" "I don’t know," said the girl bluntly, looking troubled. "I should have to think about it, and I don’t see why I should. I shall be here a whole year yet, and I shall never see you. I wish I could stay here always," she ended passionately. "I never want to go home." "Perhaps you will not need to go there," he said insinuatingly, wondering how it was she was so different from other girls. She did not seem to understand coquetry. Her eyes met his now in mild question. "You may marry and have a home of your own," he answered her unspoken question. A startled expression came into her eyes. "Oh, no," she said quickly; "I don’t think that will ever happen. I don’t want that to happen;" and she drew away from him as if the thought frightened her. "Married people are not happy." "Nonsense!" said the young man gayly. He had planted the seed in what looked like fallow ground, and perhaps one day it would blossom for him. "There are plenty of happy married people. I’ve a good old father and mother who just worship each other. They’ve been happy as clams all their lives, and I know a great many more. "My father and mother were not happy," said Dawn gravely. "Friend Ruth and Friend Isaac do not seem to be very happy either, though of course this isn’t a real home. But they are never cross," she added in conscientious explanation. "If you were married, you could have a real home of your own, and have things just as you wanted them," the young man remarked cunningly. "That would be nice," said the girl thoughtfully. "I should like that part, but I think I would like it better without being married. There are father and Friend Ruth looking for us. Let us hurry." "But you have not told me whether you will let me be your friend," he said, detaining her under a great elm tree, and looking off toward the river, as if he were still watching the steamer. "If you will let me be your friend, I will get permission to come and see you now and then, and I will bring you a box of sweets. You will like that, won’t you? All girls are fond of sweets." "I don’t know," answered Dawn slowly, looking at him with troubled eyes, and wondering why it was that his eyes reminded her of a fish.