"Good!" said Dauvit, "they did."
"And Mary was Willie's first sweetheart?"
"Imphm!"
"Mary loved Willie and he loved her. They were sweethearts for a long time, but another damsel came and stole Willie's heart away. Mary wept bitter tears, but in time she repressed her love . . . and it changed into hate."
Dauvit chuckled.
"A very nice story," he said, "but, ye ken, it's just a story. You cudna guess the real reason why Mary hated him so much."
"Then what was the real reason, Dauvit?"
He laughed.
"Mary hated Willie Murray because he aince telt her that she was a silly woman to think that she cud wear a number fower shoe on a number acht foot."
We laughed together, and then I said: