I was a kid then." Her manner was abstracted and her eyes were far away.

Mack walked gloomily by her on one side, little Steve on the other.
"Huh! He's no your sort, A doot," he said sullenly.
"What do you say ?" cried Annette, returning from her abstraction.

"What do you mean, 'my sort' ?" Her head went high and her eyes flashed.
"He would na look at ye, for ony guid." "He did look at me though," replied Annette, tossing her head.
"No for ony guid!" repeated Mack, stubbornly.
Annette stopped in her tracks, a burning red on her cheeks and a dangerous light in her black eyes.
"Mr.McNish, that's your road," she said, pointing over his shoulder.
"A'll tak it tae," said McNish, wheeling on his heel, "an' ye can hae your Captain for me." With never a look at him Annette took her way home.
"Good-bye, Steve," she said, stooping and kissing the boy.

"This is your corner." "Annette," he said, with a quick, shy look up into her face, "I like Captain Jack, don't you ?" "No," she said hurriedly.

"I mean yes, of course." "And I like you too," said the boy, with an adoring look in his deep eyes, "better'n anyone in the world." "Do you, Steve?
I'm glad." Again she stooped swiftly and kissed him.
"Now run home." She hurried home, passed into her room without a word to anyone.