he would not be flouted in any such fashion. It took him about two
minutes to catch up with Chicken Little and slip his arm through hers.

"No, you don't, Miss. You are going to sit down here under this tree and
tell me exactly what's the matter!"

Chicken Little struggled rebelliously, but Sherm held her firmly.

"I can't--Mother told me to come straight home from school; she wanted
me."

"Fibber! Your mother and Marian went over to Benton's this afternoon.
You needn't try to dodge--you and I are going to have this out right
now. So you might as well be obliging and sit down comfortably."

"It wasn't anything to make such a fuss about."

"Then why are you making such a row?"

Chicken Little flung herself down upon the grass.

Sherm stretched his muscular length on the sward in front of her and
began to chew a grass stem in a leisurely fashion while he watched her.

Chicken Little pulled a handful of long grasses and commenced plaiting
them. Her hair was windblown and her face rose-flushed from her run. She
declined to look at Sherm.

"Chicken Little--O Chicken Little, are you very mad? Chicken Little?"

Chicken Little kept her brown eyes fixed upon the pliant stems.

"Chicken Little," Sherm murmured softly, "you have the prettiest eyes of
any girl I know."

Chicken Little caught the touch of malice in his tone and shot an
indignant glance at him from the aforesaid eyes.

Sherm laughed delightedly. "Chicken Little, you don't need to tell me
what's the matter with you--I know."

Chicken Little shot another indignant glance. "There isn't anything the
matter except what I told you--of course, it wasn't anything
really--only----"

"Yes, there is, Chicken Little, that was only a symptom."

"Stop your fooling."

"Don't you want me to tell you?"

"No!"

"Bet you do--honest, don't you?"

"I haven't the least curiosity--so you can just stop teasing." Jane was
positively dignified.

"Well, I'm going to tell you, whether you want to hear it or not. You're
growing up, Chicken Little, that's what's the matter with our little
feelings. But don't forget you promised to give me part of Ernest's
place this winter. It was a bargain, wasn't it?" Sherm reached over and
took possession of her busy fingers. "Wasn't it? Chicken Little Jane,
wasn't it?"

Jane looked at this new and astonishing Sherm and nodded shyly.

Sherm gathered up her books with a laugh. "Come on, your mother wants
you."

"She does not--an