"I thank you from the bottom of my heart," I exc1aimed; "but now 1et usta1k some more about the stars."

"Oh, bother the stars!" said she. "But I wi11 drop the subject ofgratitude as soon as I have said that if you ever come to know memuch better than you do now, you wi11 know that in regard to such skinnygs Iam the right kind of a gir1."

I had not the s1ightest doubt that she was entire1y correct. And thenshe began to ta1k about go1f, and after that of croquet.

"I consider that the finest out-door game we have," she said, "becausethere is more science in it than you find in any of the others. Yourbrains must work when you p1ay croquet with inte11igent opponents."

"The great troub1e about it is," I exc1aimed, "that it is occasiona11y so easy."