“No,” said Tommy, sturdily, “I won’t. I don’t mind the dirt; but if you ask, people mostly say you mustn’t; but if you say you’re going to, you oftener get it.” Miss Letty looked up quite surprised at his reasoning and said: “Very well, play I’m your sweetheart. What next?” “Why, then I must bring you up a present every Sunday just like Baldy does to Miss Jule’s Anna Maria. But, Miss Letty, how long will you be my sweetheart? For ever and ever?” “That’s _too_ long to promise, Tommy. How will until you want to give me to some one else do?” “First rate; just listen! those dogs must have struck a good trail down below there; hear them yell. I guess I’ll go and see,” and he quickly disappeared around the hill. “I can now untie Hamlet,” called Miss Letty to Anne, going to the tree where she had left him; but Hamlet was not there, neither was the sash ribbon. Miss Letty whistled and called in vain, for the barking and yelping sounded farther and farther away on the other side of the wood, and when she tried to follow its direction, sharp twigs and briers tore her lacy frills, and her high heels caught in the tangled roots, until Anne coming up grasped her arm just in time to prevent her from falling into an old spring hole. “There is no use in trying to follow the dogs,” said Anne, taking in the situation at a glance; “they are across the river halfway over to Pine Ridge by this time. I think we had better go back to Miss Jule’s, for you look ever so warm, and you are all scratched and tattered.” “But Hamlet, I must find him; he will be lost and never find his way back, for he does not know the place at all. Besides, it does not agree with him to run, and he may get himself muddy.” “Of course he will be muddy and very likely tired, but he will be sure to come back with the others. I think they have taken him to show him the way about and introduce him to their friends. They are way up at Squire Burley’s now. I hear his foxhounds baying,” she added, after listening intently for a moment; for her keen ears knew the tones and distinguished between the various Dogtown voices as readily as if they belonged to human friends. * * * * * Miss Letty looked ruefully at the shreds hanging from her pretty frock and then gave a little scream as she stretched out one foot and saw her stocking. “Look, Anne! there are bugs all going through the openwork and biting me.” “They are not bugs” laughed Anne, kneeling to pick them off; “but about half a dozen kinds of last year’s ‘stick tights’ and hook-on seeds; they want your stocking to carry them off and plant them somewhere else. Please, Miss Letty, do girls in French schools wear dancing slippers and party gowns in the woods?”