Cecily did not regard her conquest with any pride . On the contrary , it annoyed her terribly to be teased about Cyrus . She declared she hated both him and his name . She was as uncivil to him as sweet Cecily could be to anyone , but the gallant Cyrus was nothing daunted . He laid determined siege to Cecily 's young heart by all the methods known to love-lorn swains . He placed delicate tributes of spruce gum , molasses taffy , `` conversation '' candies and decorated slate pencils on her desk ; he persistently `` chose '' her in all school games calling for a partner ; he entreated to be allowed to carry her basket from school ; he offered to work her sums for her ; and rumour had it that he had made a wild statement to the effect that he meant to ask if he might see her home some night from prayer meeting . Cecily was quite frightened that he would ; she confided to me that she would rather die than walk home with him , but that if he asked her she would be too bashful to say no . So far , however , Cyrus had not molested her out of school , nor had he as yet thumped Willy Fraser -- who was reported to be very low in his spirits over the whole affair . And now Cyrus had written Cecily a letter -- a love letter , mark you . Moreover , he had sent it through the post-office , with a real stamp on it . Its arrival made a sensation among us . Dan brought it from the office and , recognizing the handwriting of Cyrus , gave Cecily no peace until she showed us the letter . It was a very sentimental and rather ill-spelled epistle in which the inflammable Cyrus reproached her in heart-rending words for her coldness , and begged her to answer his letter , saying that if she did he would keep the secret `` in violets . '' Cyrus probably meant `` inviolate '' but Cecily thought it was intended for a poetical touch . He signed himself `` your troo lover , Cyrus Brisk '' and added in a postcript that he could n't eat or sleep for thinking of her . `` Are you going to answer it ? '' asked Dan . `` Certainly not , '' said Cecily with dignity . `` Cyrus Brisk wants to be kicked , '' growled Felix , who never seemed to be any particular friend of Willy Fraser 's either . `` He 'd better learn how to spell before he takes to writing love letters . ''
`` Maybe XXXXX will starve to death if you do n't , '' suggested Sara Ray .
Cecily Cyrus Dan Felix Fraser epistle night rumour swains troo