would you?"

"Not-on-your-life-I-wouldn't!" cried Shelley, hammering each word into
her right knee with her doubled fist. "What are you driving at,
Blatherskite? What have you got into your head?"

"Oh just studying about things," I said, which was exactly the truth.
"Sally getting married last fall, and Laddie going to this, just
started me to wondering."

Fooled her, too!

"Oh well, there's no harm done," she said. "The sooner you get these
matters straightened out, the better able you will be to take care of
yourself. If you ever go to a city, you'll find out that a girl needs
considerable care taken of her."

"You could look out for yourself, Shelley?"

"Well, I don't know as I made such a glorious fist of it," she said,
"but at least, as you say, I've nothing to be ashamed of!"

I almost hugged her head off.

"Of course you haven't!" I cried. "Of course you wouldn't have!"

I just kissed her over and over for joy; I was so glad my heart hurt
for father and mother. Shame had not come to them!

"Now, I guess I'll run to the house and get a comb," I told her.

"Go on," said Shelley. "I know you are tired."

"I'm not in the least," I said. "Don't you remember I always use a
comb when I fuss with your hair?"

"It is better," said Shelley. "Go get one."

As I got up to start I took a last look at her, and there was something
in her face that I couldn't bear. I knelt beside her, and put both
arms around her neck.

"Shelley, it's a secret," I said in a breathless half whisper. "It's a
great, big secret, but I'm going to tell you. Twice now I've had a
powerful prayer all ready to try. It's the kind where you go to the
barn, all alone, stand on that top beam below the highest window and
look toward the east. You keep perfectly still, and just think with
all your might, and you look away over where Jesus used to be, and when
the right feeling comes, you pray that prayer as if He stood before
you, and it will come true. I KNOW it will come true. The reason I
know is because twice now I've been almost ready to try it, and what I
intended to ask for happened before I had time; so I've saved that
prayer; but Shelley, shall I pray it about the Paget man, for you?"

She gripped me, and she shook until she was all twisted up; you could
hear her teeth click, she chilled so. The tears just gushed, and she
pulled me up close and whispered right in my ear:

"Yes!"

It was only pretend about the co