"You've just acknowledged it."

"Acknowledged it!"

"There! you're going to deny your own words, like the rest of your fine sex—the men."

"No—I did'nt say I was in love with Miss Sallianna."

"Did'nt he, Redbud?" asked Fanny, appealing to her friend.

"No," said Verty, before she could reply; "I said I was in love with
Redbud!"

And the ingenuous face of the young man was covered with blushes.

Fanny fairly shook with laughter.

"Oh," she screamed, "and you think I am going to believe that—when you spend the first half an hour of your visit with Miss Sallianna—talking, I suppose, about the 'beauties of nature!'"

And the young girl clapped her hands.