aid of any livving thing, for no gentleman can
show forth fear.

4. I must not wish Huey Macrath from Stair, tho' he snuffles and
his ears are large, for he was here before I was and is very
ritechus.

5. I must not swear, tho' Sandy does, and to say dam is not godly,
for a girl.

More to morrow,

L. F. S."

I was prouder of these than I have words to tell, seeing that already
she was beginning to consider conduct. And an event which followed soon
after made me plume myself still further. I had taught her to play
chess, and Danvers Carmichael being home from his English school, Sandy
and I made a merry wager of a game for a guinea a side, each of us
backing the talent of our own offspring. Nancy, who was about half
Danvers' height, drew the whites, and led off by the good conservative
opening of the king's knight, the boy replying well and putting the
pieces out after the usual fashion. Nancy unexpectedly played her
queen. "Check," she said. Dand interposed a pawn. Nancy moved a knight.
"Check," she said again. Dand was forced to move his king, and in three
moves I could see the game was hers. Suddenly she retreated and began a
process which never in my whole experience with her had I seen
duplicated. She trifled ineffectually with her men, moving them hither
and thither with no purpose or aim; and, to crown all, after one of
these fruitless moves, the boy cried, "Mate," placing his queen
triumphantly from one side of the board to the other. Nancy's eyes
shone with pleasure.

"You beat me," she cried. "Sandy won the guinea, Jock."

I can not recall when a small thing annoyed me as much as this one did,
and the next morning, finding the Little Flower making verses on the
west wall, I sat down to get some explanation from her.

"Nancy," I began, "why did you play so badly at chess last night?"

The shy look with which I was familiar came into her face.

"He can't play chess, Jock," she said.

"I know it," I cried; "I saw that; but why did you disgrace your
father, young woman, answer me that?"

"Oh," she answered, with great earnestness, "do you no see? He's a
man-child, and his father was looking on; and it would have been a fair
disgrace for him to be beaten at the game by me, who am only a girl,
and younger. I couldn't do it, Jock," she cried, and her cheeks flushed
with a glorious pink color. "I couldn't do it. No gentleman could!"

I glowed with pride at the sight of h