not, and, in a vague way, was sorry for him, for she was quite
certain of his love for her. It never once occurred to her that she was
rapidly falling in love with the young man by her side. She had not
thought of him as being socially superior: the spirit of independence,
of equality of men, is nowhere stronger, even in this land of
independence and equality, than it is among the mountains of the
Cumberland; but she knew he was most wise. Had not the puzzling symbols
in the spelling-book been, to him, as simple matters? She knew that he
was gentle-hearted, for the kindness of his acts proved that. She knew
that he was, really, a gentleman, for his manner was so perfectly
considerate, so ever kind. She did not realize that she was thinking of
him as a lover; but she dreamed, there, of the girls down in the
bluegrass and wondered how it must seem to them to have lovers such as
he. She could but very vaguely speculate as to their emotions or
appearance, but her speculations on both points, vague as they might be,
made her suffer strangely and cast queer, furtive little side-glances at
him. In her heart were stirrings of keen jealousy of these distant
maidens, but this she did not realize.

She broke into his revery with: "Don't you know any women, down there,
but your aunt?"

"Er--what?"

"Don't you know any women, down there, but your aunt?"

"Why, yes," said he, and laughed. "I know a lot of women, down there;
lots and lots of women, certainly."

"All them that go to balls, and such?"

"Many of them."

"Do you like to dance with them?"

"Oh, yes; of course."

"Tell me--all about the things they wear." This was not quite the
question she had started out to ask, but an answer to it might be very
interesting.

She settled comfortably back upon the boulder she had chosen as a seat,
her hands clasped about one knee, her face turned toward him eagerly,
her eyes sparkling with keen zest.

But he looked at her, appalled. "Why," said he, "why--I don't believe I
can. I know they always seem to be most charming in appearance, but just
how they work the magic _I_ don't know."

"Can't you tell me nothing?" Her voice showed bitter disappointment. She
unclasped the hands about her knee and sat dejected on the boulder. She
gave him not the slightest hint of it, but, suddenly, a plan had come
into her mind.

He looked at her regretfully. "Perhaps you'd better question me," said
he. Maybe I can scare up details if you'