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You are certainly of the salt of the earth," insisted Dic. "A man fails when he does not utilize his capabilities to their limit," said Billy, philosophically. "He is a success when he accomplishes all he can. The measure of the individual is the measure of what should constitute his success. His capabilities may be small or great; if he but use them all, he is a success.
"Yes, mother, I promise," and the world seemed to be slipping away from her forever. Billy Little soon found Dic and greeted him with, "Well, we haven't got her yet." "No, but when she recovers, we will have her. What an idiot I was to allow that old woman to make me angry!" "You are right for once, Dic," was Billy's consoling reply.
One evening when Rita had encountered more trouble than usual with the sun-brown, and was more than ever before convinced that she was a fright and a fool, she went downstairs, wearing her ribbon, to greet Dic, who was sitting on the porch with father, mother, and Tom. When she emerged from the front door, Tom, the teaser, said: "Oh, just look at her! She's put on her ribbon for Dic."
He had almost brought them up from infancy, and all that was best in them bore the stamp of his personality. Between him and Dic there was a feeling near akin to that of father and son, but unfortunately Rita was not a boy. Still more unfortunately the last year had added to her already great beauty a magnetism that was almost mesmeric in its effect.
"But, Billy Little," cried Dic, "you have it wrong. Don't you see that she will be an inspiration? She will fire me. I will work and achieve greater things for her sake than I could possibly accomplish without her." "That's why you're going to New York, is it?" asked Dic's cynical friend. "Well, you know, that was her first request, and and, you must understand " "Yes, I understand.
His letter brought an answer from Sukey that was harder to bear than reproaches. Within two or three days Sukey wrote to Rita, whom she knew to be the cause of Dic's desertion. The letter to Rita, like the one to Dic, contained no word of reproach. "I do not blame you for keeping him," she said in closing. "He has always belonged to you.
After rambling over the keys for two or three minutes, he turned savagely upon Dic, saying: "I wish you would tell me why you come to me for advice. You don't take it." "Yes, I do, Billy Little. I value your advice above every one else's." "Stuff and nonsense. I warned you against that girl the dimpler: much you heeded me. Do you think I'm a free advice factory?
The eyes and the face were bent toward the ground, but the lips whispered distinctly, "Yes, Dic," and that young man bitterly regretted the publicity of their situation. Soon our strollers met other young persons, and Dic was presented. All were dressed in holiday attire, and the young man from Blue felt that his companion and her friends outshone him completely.
I don't entirely trust her, though I am sure I am wrong and wicked to doubt her; but I trust you, and would trust you with any one." "I, too, trust you, Rita. It will be impossible for you to mistreat Williams, associated as he is with your father. For the sake of peace, treat him well, but " "He shall never touch my hand, Dic; that I swear!
The girl answered with a cry of joy, and ran to him. "Ah, Dic, I have forgotten all else. Forgive me. Forgive me," she replied, and as the tears came, he drew her to his side. "But, Rita this man Williams?" he asked. "I ... I know, Dic," she said between sobs, "I ... I know, but I can't ... can't tell you now. Wait till I can speak. But I love you. I ... can tell you that much.
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