ason of the very fact that your
daily adventures were things that you _could_ not tell her."

"Couldn't I, though?"

"Of course not."

"I don't see why not."

"Impossible."

"But I _did_."

"You did?"

"I did."

"To Louie?"

"Yes, to Louie."

Again my thoughts and feelings found expression in a whistle.

"You see," resumed Jack, "she badgered and questioned, and teased and
teased, till at last she got it all out of me. And the way she took it!
Laughing all the time, the provoking little witch, her eyes dancing
with fun, and her soul in a perfect ecstasy over my sorrows. I was
quiet at first, but at length got huffy. You see if she cared for a
fellow she ought to pity him instead of laughing at him."

"But she doesn't pretend to care for you--and lucky for her too."

"That's true," said Jack, dolefully.

"But what did she say about it?"

"Say? Oh, she teased and teased, and then when she had pumped me dry
she burst out into one of her fits-and then I got huffy-and she at once
pretended to be very demure, the little sinner, though I saw her eyes
twinkling with fun all the time. And at last she burst out:

"'Oh, Captain Randolph! You're so awfully absurd. I can't help it, I
must laugh. Now ain't you awfully funny? Confess. Please confess,
Captain Randolph. Ple-e-e-ease do, like a good Captain Randolph.
Ple-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-ease!'

"So my grim features relaxed, and I looked benignly at her, whereupon
she burst out laughing again in my face.

"'Well, I can't help it, I'm sure,' she said. 'You do look so droll.
You try to make me laugh, and I laugh, and can't help it, and then you
blame me for doing the very thing you make me do, and I think it's a
shame--there, now."

"Whereupon she began to pout, and look hurt, and so, you know, I had to
go to work and explain to her."

"What! not another explanation, I hope. A 'full, frank, free, fresh,
ample,' and all that sort of thing, I suppose."

"Oh, bother, chaff! I'm in earnest. I merely explained that I didn't
take any offence from her laughter, but that I thought that if she
cared for a fellow she wouldn't laugh at him.

"'But, I never said I cared for you,' said she.

"'Oh, well--you know what I mean--you're my friend, you know, and my
only comfort,' said I.

"At this she went off again.

"'Well, then,' said I, 'what are you?'

"She sat and thought.

"'Well,' said she, 'I won't be your friend, for that's too cold; I
won't be your sis