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〃I wish Cyrus Brisk was at the bottom of the Red Sea；〃 exclaimed Cecily； goaded into a spurt of temper by mention of the detested name。
〃What has Cyrus been doing now？〃 asked Felicity； coming around the corner of the hedge。
〃Doing NOW！ It's ALL the time。 He just worries me to death；〃 returned Cecily angrily。 〃He keeps writing me letters and putting them in my desk or in my reader。 I never answer one of them； but he keeps on。 And in the last one； mind you； he said he'd do something desperate right off if I wouldn't promise to marry him when we grew up。〃
〃Just think； Cecily； you've had a proposal already；〃 said Sara Ray in an awe…struck tone。
〃But he hasn't done anything desperate yet； and that was last week；〃 commented Felicity； with a toss of her head。
〃He sent me a lock of his hair and wanted one of mine in exchange；〃 continued Cecily indignantly。 〃I tell you I sent his back to him pretty quick。〃
〃Did you never answer any of his letters？〃 asked Sara Ray。
〃No； indeed！ I guess not！〃
〃Do you know；〃 said Felicity； 〃I believe if you wrote him just once and told him your exact opinion of him in good plain English it would cure him of his nonsense。〃
〃I couldn't do that。 I haven't enough spunk；〃 confessed Cecily with a blush。 〃But I'll tell you what I did do once。 He wrote me a long letter last week。 It was just awfully SOFT； and every other word was spelled wrong。 He even spelled baking soda； 'bacon soda！'〃
〃What on earth had he to say about baking soda in a love…letter？〃 asked Felicity。
〃Oh； he said his mother sent him to the store for some and he forgot it because he was thinking about me。 Well； I just took his letter and wrote in all the words； spelled right； above the wrong ones； in red ink； just as Mr。 Perkins makes us do with our dictation exercises； and sent it back to him。 I thought maybe he'd feel insulted and stop writing to me。〃
〃And did he？〃
〃No； he didn't。 It is my opinion you can't insult Cyrus Brisk。 He is too thick…skinned。 He wrote another letter； and thanked me for correcting his mistakes； and said it made him feel glad because it showed I was beginning to take an interest in him when I wanted him to spell better。 Did you ever？ Miss Marwood says it is wrong to hate anyone； but I don't care； I hate Cyrus Brisk。〃
〃Mrs。 Cyrus Brisk WOULD be an awful name；〃 giggled Felicity。
〃Flossie Brisk says Cyrus is ruining all the trees on his father's place cutting your name on them；〃 said Sara Ray。 〃His father told him he would whip him if he didn't stop； but Cyrus keeps right on。 He told Flossie it relieved his feelings。 Flossie says he cut yours and his together on the birch tree in front of the parlour window； and a row of hearts around them。〃
〃Just where every visitor can see them； I suppose；〃 lamented Cecily。 〃He just worries my life out。 And what I mind most of all is； he sits and looks at me in school with such melancholy； reproachful eyes when he ought to be working sums。 I won't look at him； but I FEEL him staring at me； and it makes me so nervous。〃
〃They say his mother was out of her mind at one time；〃 said Felicity。
I do not think Felicity was quite well pleased that Cyrus should have passed over her rose…red prettiness to set his affections on that demure elf of a Cecily。 She did not want the allegiance of Cyrus in the least； but it was something of a slight that he had not wanted her to want it。
〃And he sends me pieces of poetry he cuts out of the papers；〃 Cecily went on； 〃with lots of the lines marked with a lead pencil。 Yesterday he put one in his letter； and this is what he marked：
〃'If you will not relent to me Then must I learn to know Darkness alone till life be flown。
HereI have the piece in my sewing…bagI'll read it all to you。〃
Those three graceless girls read the sentimental rhyme and giggled over it。 Poor Cyrus！ His young affections were sadly misplaced。 But after all； though Cecily never relented towards him； he did not condemn himself to darkness alone till life was flown。 Quite early in life he wedded a stout； rosy； buxom lass； the very antithesis of his first love； he prospered in his undertakings； raised a large and respectable family； and was eventually appointed a Justice of the Peace。 Which was all very sensible of Cyrus。
CHAPTER XV
THE RAPE OF THE LOCK
June was crowded full of interest that year。 We gathered in with its sheaf of fragrant days the choicest harvest of childhood。 Things happened right along。 Cecily declared she hated to go to sleep for fear she might miss something。 There were so many dear delights along the golden road to give us pleasurethe earth dappled with new blossom； the dance of shadows in the fields； the rustling； rain…wet ways of the woods； the faint fragrance in meadow lanes； liltings of birds and croon of bees in the old orchard； windy pipings on the hills； sunset behind the pines； limpid dews filling primrose cups； crescent moons through darklings boughs； soft nights alight with blinking stars。 We enjoyed all these boons； unthinkingly and light…heartedly； as children do。 And besides these； there was the absorbing little drama of human life which was being enacted all around us； and in which each of us played a satisfying partthe gay preparations for Aunt Olivia's mid…June wedding； the excitement of practising for the concert with which our school…teacher； Mr。 Perkins； had elected to close the school year； and Cecily's troubles with Cyrus Brisk； which furnished unholy mirth for the rest of us； though Cecily could not see the funny side of it at all。
Matters went from bad to worse in the case of the irrepressible Cyrus。 He continued to shower Cecily with notes； the spelling of which showed no improvement； he worried the life out of her by constantly threatening to fight Willy Fraseralthough； as Felicity sarcastically pointed out； he never did it。
〃But I'm always afraid he will；〃 said Cecily； 〃and it would be such a DISGRACE to have two boys fighting over me in school。〃
〃You must have encouraged Cyrus a little in the beginning or he'd never have been so persevering；〃 said Felicity unjustly。
〃I never did！〃 cried outraged Cecily。 〃You know very well； Felicity King； that I hated Cyrus Brisk ever since the very first time I saw his big； fat； red face。 So there！〃
〃Felicity is just jealous because Cyrus didn't take a notion to her instead of you； Sis；〃 said Dan。
〃Talk sense！〃 snapped Felicity。
〃If I did you wouldn't understand me； sweet little sister；〃 rejoined aggravating Dan。
Finally Cyrus crowned his iniquities by stealing the denied lock of Cecily's hair。 One sunny afternoon in school； Cecily and Kitty Marr asked and received permission to sit out on the side bench before the open window； where the cool breeze swept in from the green fields beyond。 To sit on this bench was always considered a treat； and was only allowed as a reward of merit； but Cecily and Kitty had another reason for wishing to sit there。 Kitty had read in a magazine that sun…baths were good for the hair； so both she and Cecily tossed their long braids over the window…sill and let them hang there in the broiling sun…shine。 And while Cecily sat thus； di