a: "To speak of the Holy Word in that manner!
You shall be punished."

Dic and Rita went out to the porch. Dic laughed, but the girl saw
nothing funny.

"It seems to me just as if I had told a story," she said. "One may act a
story as easily as tell it."

"Well, you are to be punished," laughed Dic.

"But you know I want to go. I have never been to a social, and it will
not punish me to go."

"Then you are to be punished by going with me," returned the stalwart
young fisherman. She looked up to him with a flash of her eyes--those
eyes were worse than a loose tongue for tattling--and said:--

"That is true."

Dic, who was fairly boiling with pleasant anticipations, went to town
next day and boiled over on Billy Little.

"I'm going to take Rita to Scott's social this evening," he said.

"Ah, indeed," responded Billy; "it's her first time out, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"I envy her, by George, I do, and I envy you," said Billy. He did not
envy Dic; but you may remember my remarks concerning bachelor hearts and
their unprotected condition in this cruel world. There may be pain of
the sort Billy felt without either envy or jealousy.

"Dic, I have a mind to send Rita a nice ribbon or two for to-night. What
do you think about it?" asked Billy.

"She would be delighted," answered Dic. "She would accept them from you,
but not from me."

"There is no flattery in that remark," answered Billy, with a touch of
sharpness.

"Why, Billy Little, what do you suppose I meant?" asked Dic.

"I know you spoke the truth. She would accept a present from the little
old knot, but would refuse it from the straight young tree."

"Why, Billy Little, I meant nothing of the sort."

"Now, not another word," interrupted Billy. "Give these ribbons to her
when you ride home, and tell her the knot sends them to the sweetbrier."
Then turning his face to the shelves on the wall, and arranging a few
pieces of goods, he hummed under his breath his favorite stanza,
"Maxwelton's braes," and paid no further attention to his guest.

Rita came out as Dic rode up to the gate. He did not dismount, but
handed her the ribbons across the fence, saying: "Billy Little sends you
these for to-night. He said they were from the knot to the sweetbrier."

The girl's suppressed delight had been troubling her all day. Her first
party, her first escort, and that escort Dic! What more could a girl
desire? The ribbons were too much. And somebody was almost ready t