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 you know, in my department, and—well, Miss Willcox and myself have known each other a long time, Gale, and I don't suppose my feelings regarding her are much of a secret to you. I thought I'd save you a lot of—eh—a lot of embarrassment, by telling you now that I expect to marry Miss Willcox this winter!"

I can feel I'm as pale as a quart of skim milk and I could of kick myself for not being able to stop my voice from trembling.

"Has Judy—are you and Judy engaged?" I stammer.

Rags's beady, gloating eyes tells me he's enjoying my misery to his full capacity. He takes plenty time to answer.

"We—e—ll, not exactly engaged," he drawls. "But"

"But, nothing, you big stiff!" I cut him off, and my voice ain't trembling now. I'm burnt up, for a fact! "If Judy ain't promised to wed you, where d'ye get that stuff about expecting to marry her this winter? The best thing you can do is to leave Judy alone, get me? If she ever tells me that you're trying to take advantage of the miracle that she's working for you, I'll slap you for a Chinese ash can!"

Thus endeth the first lesson.

That night, as they say in the movies, I nailed Judy after supper and apologized for the way I talked to her earlier in the day. She changes like the wild winds, she does for a fact. She ain't a bit sore, and she's the one which suggests sitting out in the hammock on the dark back porch to talk matters over. I think both my ears is liars when she asks me, but we go and sit