Joe West followed up his advantage. "Say, Sarah Jane," said he,
"lemme take her a minute."

She eyed him doubtfully. Somehow she mistrusted him. Joe West had rather
the reputation of being a wag and a sore tease.

"She's just the prettiest doll I ever saw," Joe went on. "Lemme take her
just a minute, Sarah Jane; now do."

"He's just stuffing you, Sarah Jane; don't you let him touch it," spoke
out one of the big girls.

"Stuffing" was a very expressive word in the language of the school.
Sarah Jane shook her head with a timid little smile, and hugged Lily
Rosalie tighter.

"Now do, Sarah Jane. I wouldn't be stingy. Haven't I just given you some
sassafras?"

That softened her a little. The spicy twang of the sassafras was yet on
her tongue. "I'm afraid you won't give her back to me," murmured she.

"Yes, I will, honest. Now do, Sarah Jane."

It was against her better judgment; the big girl again raised her
warning voice; but Joe West adroitly administered a little more
flattery, and followed it up with entreaty, and Sarah Jane, yielding,
finally put her precious little white linen baby into his big grimy,
out-reaching hands.

"Oh, the pretty little sing!" said Joe West then, in an absurdly soft
voice, and dandled it up and down. "What's its name, Sarah Jane?"

And Sarah Jane in her honesty and simplicity repeated that flowery name.

"Lily Rosalie Violet May," said Joe, after her, softly. And everybody
giggled.

A pink color spread all over Sarah Jane's face and dimpled neck; tears
sprang to her eyes. She felt as if they were poking fun at something
sacred; her honest childish confidence was betrayed. "Give her back to
me, Joe West!" she cried.

But Joe only dandled it out of her reach, and then the bell rang. The
children trooped back into the school-room, and Joe quietly slipped the
doll into his pocket and marched gravely to his seat.

Every time when Sarah Jane gazed around at him he was studying his
geography with the most tireless industry. She could hardly wait for
school to be done; when it was, she tried to get to Joe, but he was too
quick for her. He had started with his long stride down the road before
she could get to the door. She called after him, but he appeared to have
suddenly grown deaf. The other girls condoled with her, all but the big
girl who had given the warning. "You'd ought to have listened to me,"
said she, severely, as she tied on her sun-bonnet in the entry. "I told
you how i