of admiration she had given him when he
was astride of Francie Crabb. For such a look he could pardon many
rebuffs; without it no praise greatly pleased him; he was always on the
outlook for it.

"I warrant," he said to her one evening, "you want to have some man-body
to take care of you the way I take care of Elspeth."

"No, I don't," she replied, promptly.

"Would you no like somebody to love you?"

"Do you mean kissing?" she asked.

"There's better things in it than that," he said guardedly; "but if you
want kissing, I--I--Elspeth'll kiss you."

"Will she want to do it?" inquired Grizel, a little wistfully.

"I'll make her do it," Tommy said.

"I don't want her to do it," cried Grizel, and he could not draw another
word from her. However he was sure she thought him a wonder, and when
next they met he challenged her with it.

"Do you not now?"

"I won't tell you," answered Grizel, who was never known to lie.

"You think I'm a wonder," Tommy persisted, "but you dinna want me to
know you think it."

Grizel rocked her arms, a quaint way she had when excited, and she
blurted out, "How do you know?"

The look he liked had come back to her face, but he had no time to enjoy
it, for just then Elspeth appeared, and Elspeth's jealousy was easily
aroused.

"I dinna ken you, lassie," he said coolly to Grizel, and left her
stamping her foot at him. She decided never to speak to Tommy again, but
the next time they met he took her into the Den and taught her how to
fight.

It is painful to have to tell that Miss Ailie was the person who
provided him with the opportunity. In the readings they arrived one
evening at the scene in the conservatory, which has not a single Stroke
in it, but is so full of Words We have no Concern with that Tommy reeled
home blinking, and next day so disgracefully did he flounder in his
lessons that the gentle school-mistress cast up her arms in despair.

"I don't know what to say to you," she exclaimed.

"Fine I know what you want to say," he retorted, and unfortunately she
asked, "What?"

"Stroke!" he replied, leering horridly.

"I Love My Love with an A" was returned to the club forthwith (whether
he really did have a wife in India Miss Ailie never knew) and "Judd on
the Shorter Catechism" took its place. But mark the result. The readings
ended at a quarter to eight now, at twenty to eight, at half-past seven,
and so Tommy could loiter on the way home without arousing Elspeth's