there; and when I told him that you felt sort of backward about
taking such a step, he seemed more tickled than set back. He said he'd
seen so many women that throwed theirselves at him and interfered with
his movements that the hold-off sort was just what he was looking for.
He went on and told me about the old maids that knitted socks for him,
and the giddy young ones that tittered and looked at him out of the
corners of their eyes whenever he passed, and how many widows and
mothers of gals was trading at his store now that hadn't before, and how
much bother they all was in refusing to let his clerks wait on 'em, and
was always coming back to his desk to make him get what they needed."

"Shucks, I'll bet he's had his head turned," was Dixie's comment. "Well,
he needn't think he's the whole show; they wouldn't do him that away if
he didn't have money. Well, I needn't criticise them, for, as good as I
think I am, I don't reckon I'd give him a second thought if he was just
a farm-hand at seventy-five a day. Money adds a lot to a person, and I
reckon if a girl went about it right and as a matter of duty she could
love a rich man as quick as a poor one."

"Well, I simply couldn't head 'im off," Henley resumed. "I couldn't get
around his arguments. He said there was a way you and him could meet
without compromising your pride, and that was this: he said me and you
was good friends, and that if I wanted to make you pass a pleasant day
I could invite you to drive over there next Saturday week and see the
fire tournament that is to be held."

"Well, he's got cheek enough, I must say," Dixie said. "I reckon he
might let you run your own business and extend your own invites. It
ain't for him to up and dictate to you--huh! I say!"

"But, you see, I'd already told him that I'd enjoy fetching you over at
any time. You see, he knowed it would be a pleasure to me. I'm going
over, anyway, and your company the ten miles and back would be a sight
better than being alone."

"Well, that's different," said Dixie, "and I really would enjoy the
trip. But it would have to be fully understood that I went just with
you, and was not going along to exhibit myself, to see if I'd suit him
or not."

"Good!--now you've hit it!" Henley laughed. "It will be fun all round.
I'm going again to-morrow, and I'll tell him to be--I'll tell him me and
you have decided to take in the tournament."

"Yes, put it that way," said Dixie, and she took up her