I must give him my word never to see you or speak to you
again. I refused, of course. He threatened to lock me up. He said
things about you that put me beside myself. We said ghastly things to
each other. We are very much alike. You'd better think twice before
you marry into such a family, Ambrose."

"I take my chance," he said.

"I'm sorry now," Colina went on. "I know he is, too. Poor old fellow!
I have you."

"You mustn't break with him yet," said Ambrose anxiously.

"I know. But how can I go back and humble myself?"

"He'll meet you half-way."

"If--if we could only get in the dugout and go now!" she breathed.

He did not answer. She saw him turn pale.

"Wouldn't it be the best way," she murmured, "since it's got to be
anyway?"

He drew a long breath and shook his head.

"I wouldn't take you now," he said doggedly.

"Of course not!" she said quickly. "I was only joking. But why?" she
added weakly. Her hand crept into his.

"It wouldn't be fair," he said, frowning. "It would be taking too much
from you."

"Too much!" she murmured, with an obscure smile.

Ambrose struggled with the difficulty of explaining what he meant. "I
never do anything prudent myself. I hate it. But I can't let you
chuck everything--without thinking what you are doing. You ought to
stay home a while--and be sure."

"It isn't going to be so easy," she said, "quarreling continually."

"I sha'n't see you again until I come for you," said Ambrose. "And
it's useless to write letters from Moultrie to Enterprise. I'm out of
the way. Why can't the question of me be dropped between you and your
father?"

"Think of living on from month to month without a word! It will be
ghastly!" she cried.

"You've only known me two days," he said sagely. "I could not leave
such a gap as that."

"How coldly you can talk about it!" she cried rebelliously.

Ambrose frowned again. "When you call me cold you shut me up," he said
quietly.

"But if you do not make a fuss about me every minute," she said
naively, "it shames me because I am so foolish about you."

Ambrose laughed suddenly.

There followed another interlude of celestial silliness.

This time it was Colina who withdrew herself from him.

"Ah," she said with a catch of the breath, "every minute of this is
making it harder. I shall want to die when you leave me."

Ambrose attempted to take her in his arms again.

"No," she insisted. "Let us try to be s