t a straw hat, you know, or a sun-shade; it will be hot in
half an hour."

"Oh, I couldn't stay out half an hour; fifteen minutes would be the
longest."

"All right, fifteen minutes, then, but do hurry."

"I didn't say that I would go," she said, opening her eyes; "and yet I
feel myself gone." She laughed lightly.

"Do hurry," he pleaded freshly; "oh, I am so hungry to--"

She disappeared within doors and five minutes later came back with one of
those charming floppy English garden hats, tied with a muslin bow beneath
her dimpled chin.

"This is so good of me," she said, as they went down the steps.

"Very good, heavenly good," said Jack; and then neither spoke again until
they had crossed the Italian garden and entered the American wood. She
looked into his eyes then and smiled half-shyly and half-provokingly.

"You are such a baby," she said; "such a baby! Do ask me why and I'll tell
you half a dozen whys. I'd love to."

The path was the smoothest and shadiest of forest paths, the hour was the
sweetest and sunniest of summer hours, the moment was the brightest and
happiest of all the moments which they had known together--up to now.

"Do tell me," he said; "I'm wild to know."

He took her hand and laid it on his arm. For that little while she was
certainly his and his alone, and no man had a better claim to her. "Go on
and tell me," he repeated.

"There is one big reason and there are lots of little ones. Which will you
have first?"

"The little ones, please."

"Then, listen; you are like a baby because you are impatient, because you
are spoilt, because when you want anything you think that you must have
it, and because you like to be walked with."

"Are those the little reasons," he said when she paused; "and what's the
big one?"

"The big one," she said slowly; "Oh, I'm afraid that you won't like the
big one!"

"Perhaps it will be all the better for me if I don't," he laughed; "at any
rate I beg and pray and plead to know it."

"What a dear boy!" she laughed. "If you want to know as badly as that, I'd
have to tell you anyhow, whether I wanted to or not. It's because I'm so
much the oldest."

"Oh!" said Jack, much disappointed. "Is that why?"

"And then too," she continued, "you seem even younger because of your
being so unsophisticated."

"So I am unsophisticated, am I?" he asked grimly.

"Yes," she said nodding; "at least you impress me so."

"I'm glad of that," he said after a little