to her
intimates; but Chinky, could be trusted. For she garnered the few words
Laura vouchsafed her, as gratefully as Lazarus his crumbs; and a mark
of confidence, such as this, would sustain her for days.

But she had no information to give.

"Me? ... why, nothing. Boys are dirty, horrid, conceited creatures."

In her heart Laura was at one with this judgment; but it was not to the
point.

"Yes, but s'pose one was awfully sweet on you and you rather liked him?"

"Catch me! If one came bothering round me, I'd do this" and she set her
ten outstretched fingers to her nose and waggled them.

And yet Chinky was rather pretty, in her way.

Maria Morell, cautiously tapped, threw back her head and roared with
laughter.

"Bless its little heart! Does it want to know?--say, Laura, who's your
mash?"

"No one," answered Laura stoutly. "I only asked. For I guess you KNOW,
Maria."

"By gosh, you bet I do!" cried Maria, italicising the words in her
vehemence. "Well, look here, Kiddy, if a chap's sweet on me I let him
be sweet, my dear, and that's all--till he's run to barley-sugar. What
I don't let him savvy is, whether I care a twopenny damn for him. Soon
as you do that, it's all up. Just let him hang round, and throw
sheep's-eyes, till he's as soft as a jellyfish, and when he's right
down ripe, roaring mad, go off and pretend to do a mash with some one
else. That's the way to glue him, chicken."

"But you don't have anything of him that way," objected Laura.

Maria laughed herself red in the face. "What'n earth more d'you want?
Why, he'll pester you with letters, world without end, and look as
black as your shoe if you so much as wink at another boy. As for a
kiss, if he gets a chance of one he'll take it you can bet your bottom
dollar on that."

"But you never get to know him!"

"Oh, hang it, Laura, but you ARE rich! What d'you think one has a boy
for, I'd like to know. To parlezvous about old Shepherd's sermons? You
loony, it's only for getting lollies, and letters, and the whole dashed
fun of the thing. If you go about too much with one, you soon have to
fake an interest in his rotten old affairs. Or else just hold your
tongue and let him blow. And that's dull work. D'you think it ever
comes up a fellow's back to talk to you about your new Sunday hat! If
it does, you can teach your grandmother to suck eggs."

But, despite this wisdom, Laura could not determine how Maria would
have acted had she stood in her s