Raleigh Stanford, still in his cavalier costume, and with Miss Sally Lou
on his arm, spied him as they passed by. "Oh, there's that funny little
fellow that was here this morning!" she said. "We tried to make him
talk, but he just kept his head on one side, and was too embarrassed to
say anything."

"Hey, Sambo," called the young man suddenly in his ear. "What do you
know?"

John Jay gave a start, and looked up at the amused faces above him. He
took the question seriously, and thought he must really tell what he
knew; but just at that moment he could remember only one thing in all
the wide world. Every other bit of information seemed to desert him. So
he stammered, "I--I know M--Miss Hallie, she's nineteen this Satiddy,
an' I'll be nine next Satiddy."

Miss Sally Lou laughed so gaily that her young cavalier made another
effort to please her.

"Is that so!" he exclaimed, as if surprised. "It's a mighty lucky thing
you told me that, now, or I never would have thought to bring you
anything. You didn't know that I am a sort of birthday Santa Claus, did
you? Just look out for me next Saturday. If I'm not there by
breakfast-time, wait till noon, and if I don't get there by that time
it'll be because something has happened; anyway, somebody'll be prancing
along about sundown."

"Oh, come along, Raleigh," said Miss Sally Lou, moving off toward the
house. "You're such a tease."