er
bottle, frowning when she spilled a few precious drops upon her hand.
This bottle she also hid behind the mirror.

In Dora Marshall's room, Susie was examining the teacher's toilette
articles, which held an unfailing interest for her. She meant to have an
exact duplicate of the manicure set and of the hairbrush with the heavy
silver back. To Susie, these things, along with side-combs and petticoats
that rustled, were symbols of that elegance which she longed to attain.

As she stood by the bureau, fumbling with the various articles, she caught
sight of a box through the crack of the half-open drawer. She had seen
that battered box before. It was the grasshopper box--for there was the
slit in the top.

Susie was not widely experienced in matters of sentiment, but she had her
feminine intuitions, besides remarkably well-developed reasoning powers
for her years.

Why, she asked herself as she continued to stare through the crack, why
should Teacher be cherishing that old bait-box? Why should she have it
there among her handkerchiefs and smelly silk things, and the soft lace
things she wore at her throat? Why--unless she attached value to it?
Why--unless it was a romantic and sacred keepsake?

Susie rather prided herself on being in touch with all that went on, and
now she had an uneasy feeling that she might have missed something. She
remembered the day of their fishing trip well, and at the time had
thought she had scented a budding romance. Had they quarrelled, she
wondered?

She sat on the edge of the bed and swung her feet.

"My, but won't it seem lonesome here without Mr. Ralston?" Susie sighed
deeply.

"Is he going away?" Dora asked quickly.

"He'll be goin' pretty soon now, because he's found most of his strays and
bought all the ponies he wants."

"I suppose he will be glad to get back among his friends."

Susie thought Teacher looked a little pale.

"Maybe he'll go back and get married."

"Did he say so?"

Susie was _sure_ she was paler.

"No," she replied nonchalantly. "I just thought so, because anybody that's
as good-looking as he is, gets gobbled up quick. Don't you think he is
good-looking?"

"Oh, he does very well."

"Gee whiz, I wish he'd ask me to marry him!" said Susie unblushingly. "You
couldn't see me for dust, the way I'd travel. But there's no danger. Look
at them there skinny arms!"

"Susie! What grammar!"

"Those there skinny arms."

"Those."

"Those skinny arms; tho