She bit her lip, and then she laughed.
"A man shouldn't make an assertion of that sort," she said quizzically, in the direction of Buddy--though her meaning went straight across the table to another--"unless he has some reason for feeling very sure." Buddy tried to appear quite clear as to her meaning.

"Well, if you are Dick's girl, then you better make Ford give that ribbon--" "I have plenty of ribbons, Buddy," Josephine interrupted, smiling at him still.

"Don't you want one ?" "I tie my own mamma's ribbons on my bridle," Buddy rebuffed.

"My mamma is my girl--you ain't.

You can give your ribbons to Dick." "Mamma won't be your girl if you don't stop talking so much at the table--and elsewhere," Mrs.Kate informed him sternly, with a glance of trepidation at the others.