"She can cook awfully good things," I said, for I was beginning to run short of compliments. Jill was horrified; she said afterwards that it wasn't a bit romantic. But I don't care--I believe Dick liked it, for he smiled with his eyes I just as he always does when he's pleased. Girls don't understand everything. * * * * * But at the end of three months we began to get anxious. Things were going so slow. Dick and Aunt Tommy didn't seem a bit further ahead than at first. Jill said it was because Aunt Tommy didn't encourage Dick enough. "I do wish we could hurry them up a little," she said. "At this rate they will never be married this year and by next I'll be too big to be a flower girl. I'm stretching out horribly as it is. Mother has had to let down my frocks again." "I wish they would get engaged and have done with it," I said. "My mind would be at rest then. It's all Dick's fault. Why doesn't he ask Aunt Tommy to marry him? What's making him so slow about it? If I wanted a girl to marry me--but I wouldn't ever--I'd tell her so right spang off." "I suppose ministers have to be more dignified," said Jill, "but three months ought to be enough time for anyone. And Aunt Tommy is only going to be here another month. If Dick could be made a little jealous it would hurry him up. And he could be made jealous if you had any spunk about you." "I guess I've got more spunk than you have," I said. "The trouble with Dick is this," said Jill. "There is nobody else coming to see Aunt Tommy and he thinks he is sure of her. If you could tell him something different it would stir him up." "Are you sure it would?" I asked. "It always does in novels," said Jill. And that settled it, of course. Jill and I fixed up what I was to say and Jill made me say it over and over again to be sure I had it right. I told her--sarcastically--that she'd better say it herself and then it would be done properly. Jill said she would if it were Aunt Tommy, but when it was Dick it was better for a man to do it. So of course I agreed. I didn't know when I would have a chance to stir Dick up, but Providence--so Jill said--favoured us. Aunt Tommy didn't expect Dick down the next night, so she and Father and Mother all went away somewhere. Dick came after all, and Jill sent me into the parlour to tell him. He was standing before the mantel looking at Aunt Tommy's picture. There was such an adoring look in his eyes. I could see it quite plain in the mirror before him. I practised that look a lot before my own glass after that--because I thought it might come in handy some time, you know--but I guess I couldn't have got it just right because when I tried it on Jill she asked me if I had a pain. "Well, Jack, old man," said Dick, sitting down on the sofa. I sat down before him. "Aunt Tommy is out," I said, to get the worst over. "I guess you like Aunt Tommy pretty well, don't you, Mr. Richmond?" "Yes," said Dick softly.