f the lads were too crazy over the mooted
question of "playing keeps" to care to spell out scrawly notes.

"Who is your beau, Jane?" Grace Dart demanded one day.

Chicken Little cherished a secret admiration for Carol, but she wouldn't
have betrayed it for worlds. Still she felt that she must claim somebody
to be in the swim. She thought about it for several days and finally
announced proudly to Grace that Johnny Carter was her beau.

"Why he's the boy you slapped! I thought you didn't like him Jane."

"I don't so very well," confessed Chicken Little reluctantly. "That's
the reason I took him. Don't you see--I'm going to reform him."

Grace looked decidedly puzzled.

"Yes, like the heroines do in books."

"What you going to do to Johnny?"

But Jane had it all thought out.

"His hands most always need washing awful bad--I did think of that, but
they don't seem ever to begin with hands. They most always make them
promise not to use tobacco or drink wine and stuff."

"Yes," said Grace doubtfully, "but Johnny doesn't do anything like
that--Mr. Carter would lick him if he did. He's temperance and awful
strict with Johnny. I heard Mother say so."

"Johnny chews gum. I've seen him lots of times--I think gum's most as
bad as tobacco don't you?"

"Maybe it's just as bad for a boy. Miss Brown always makes us throw it
in the waste-paper basket."

"Well, my mother thinks it's a horrid habit. She says no lady would do
such a thing."

"How you going to make him quit?"

This was a point that was not quite clear to Chicken Little herself. To
tell the truth she and Johnny had not been on very good terms since the
candy episode. She thought it best to be a little vague with Grace.

"For me to know and you to find out," she said with dignity.

"Bet you can't do it," retorted Grace, nettled. "Johnny Carter likes
that red-headed girl who goes to our Sunday School better than you
anyhow. I saw him talking to her. I guess it doesn't make a boy your
beau, just wanting him to be!" And Grace departed with her nose in the
air after this parting thrust.

It made Chicken Little feel a trifle uncomfortable. She wished she
hadn't been so hasty about claiming Johnny's affections. She wished this
still more when she went over to Halford's that evening for Katy called
to her before she got inside the gate.

"Somebody's got a beau!--somebody's got a beau!" and Katy pointed the
finger of scorn at her vigorously.

Chicken Little tr