the one topic. A few
months prior to that time his observations on the book would have
interested the girl; but recently two or three unusual events had
touched her life, and her dread that Dic would speak of them, was
rapidly growing into a fear that he would not. By the end of that first
half-hour, her feminine vivacity monopolized the conversation with an
ostentatious display of trivial details on small subjects, and she began
to move toward his end of the log. Still Dic kept his place, all
unconscious of his wisdom.

Geese seemed to be Rita's favorite topic. Most women are clever at
periphrasis, and will go a long way around to reach a desired topic, if
for any reason they do not wish to approach it directly. The topics Rita
wished to reach, as she edged toward Dic on the log and talked about
geese, were her unkind words and her very kind letter. She wished to
explain that her words were not meant to be unkind, and that the letter
was not meant to be kind, and thought to reach the desired topics by the
way of geese.

"Do you remember, Dic," she asked, "a long time ago, when Tom and I and
the Yates children spent the afternoon at your house? We were sitting
near the river, as we are sitting now, and a gray wolf ran down from the
opposite bank and caught a gander?"

"Yes, I remember it as if it were yesterday," replied Dic.

"Geese are such fools when they are frightened," continued Rita,
clinging to her subject.

"So are people," answered Dic. "We are all foolish when frightened. The
other day the barn door slammed to with a crash, and I was so frightened
I tried to put the collar in the horse's mouth." Rita laughed, and Dic
continued, "Once I was in the woods hunting, and a bear rose up--"

"But geese are worse than anybody when disturbed," interrupted Rita,
"worse even than you when the barn door slams. The other day I wanted to
catch a goose to get a--"

"They are not worse than a lot of girls at gabbling," interrupted Dic,
ungallantly retaliating for Rita's humorous thrust.

"They are not half so dull as a lot of men," she replied, tossing her
head. "When men get together they hum and hum about politics and crops,
till it makes one almost wish there were no government or crops. But
geese are--the other day I wanted to catch one to get a--"

"All men don't hum and hum, as you say," returned Dic. "There's Billy
Little--you don't think he hums, do you?"

"No," answered the girl; "Billy Little always says