over--a horrible, unequivocal, burning
blush. She hated herself for blushing--and hated him for making her.

"Upon my word!" she stammered. It was all she could get out.

He did not triumph over her discomfiture; his eyes were cast down, and
his hand trembled. Colina could not tell whether he were more bold or
simple. She had a sinking fear that here was a young man capable of
setting all her maxims on men at naught. She didn't know what to do
with him.

"What do you know about me?" she demanded.

It sounded feeble in her own ears. She felt that whatever she might
say he was marching steadily over her defenses. Somehow, everything
that he said made them more intimate.

"There was a fellow from here came by our place," said Ambrose simply.
"Poly Goussard. He told us about you--"

"Talked about me!" cried Colina stormily.

"You should have heard what he said," said Ambrose with his
venturesome, diffident smile. "He thinks you are the most beautiful
woman in the world!" Ambrose's eyes added that he agreed with Poly.

It was impossible for Colina to be angry at this, though she wished to
be. She maintained a haughty silence.

Ambrose faltered a little.

"I--I haven't talked to a white girl in a year," he said. "This is our
slack season--so I--I came to see you."

If Colina had been a man this was very like what she might have
said---to meet with candor equal to her own in the other sex, however,
took all the wind out of her sails.

"How dare you!" she murmured, conscious of sounding ridiculous.

Ambrose cast down his eyes. "I have not said anything insulting," he
said doggedly. "After what Poly said it was natural for me to want to
come and see you."

"In the slack season," she murmured sarcastically.

"I couldn't have come in the winter," he said naively.

Colina despised herself for disputing with him. She knew she ought to
have left at once--but she was unable to think of a sufficiently
telling remark to cover a dignified retreat.

"You are presumptuous!" she said haughtily.

"Presumptuous?" he repeated with a puzzled air.

She decided that he was more simple than bold. "I mean that men do not
say such things to women," she began as one might rebuke a little
boy--but the conclusion was lamentable, "to women to whom they have not
even been introduced!"

"Oh," he said, "I'm sorry! I can only stay a few days. I wanted to
get acquainted as quickly as possible."

A still small voic