ught you looked
different, but I couldn't tell exactly what it was. That's a stunner,
sure enough, Princess. It sort of livens up the landscape."

"I'm glad you like it," laughed Lloyd, "but I don't believe you would
have seen it at all if Betty hadn't called yoah attention to it. You'll
nevah get on in society, Bobby, if you don't learn to notice things.
You'll miss all the chances most boys take advantage of to pay
compliments and make pretty little speeches."

Rob scowled. "You know I don't go in for that sort of stuff."

"But you ought to," persisted Lloyd, who was in a perverse mood. "I
considah it my duty to take you in hand and teach you. You may practise
on Betty and me. Now we've been talking to Gay all term about our
friends in Lloydsboro Valley, and naturally we want everybody to put
their best foot foremost and show off their prettiest. Malcolm and Keith
will leave a charming impression of themselves, because they will make
her feel in such an easy graceful way that she has made that sawt of an
impression on them. If she wears an especially pretty dress, or says an
especially bright thing, or plays unusually well, they will notice it in
some way so that she will know that they noticed it, and that they were
pleased. Naturally that will please her, and she will like them bettah
for it."

Rob faced her with a whimsical expression. "Look here, Lloyd Sherman,
I've played every kind of a game that you've asked me to ever since I
learned to walk. I've been your man Friday when you wanted to be
Robinson Crusoe, and played B'r Fox to your B'r Rabbit. You've scalped
me and buried me and dug me up. You've made me be Pharaoh with the ten
plagues of Egypt, or a Christian martyr thrown to the wild beasts, just
as it pleased your fancy. I've even played dolls with you week at a
time, but I swear I draw the line at this. I'll do anything in reason to
help entertain your chum,--ride or dance or skate or get up private
theatricals,--but I'll _not_ make a ninny of myself trying to be flowery
and get off complimentary speeches. It comes natural to some people, but
I'm not built that way. I'd be as awkward at it as a fish out of water."

Lloyd turned her head with a despairing gesture. "Oh, Rob, you're
hopeless! You don't undahstand at all! Nobody wants you to be flowery,
and nobody likes flat-footed, out-and-out compliments. They're not nice
at all. I just meant--well--I scarcely know what I _did_ mean, but you
know how M