hat is there peculiar about that?"

She thought it over, and the plan did seem feasible. Then she
looked at this man and realized that relationship with him meant
possible motherhood for her again. The tragedy of giving birth to a
child--ah, she could not go through that a second time, at least
under the same conditions. She could not bring herself to tell him
about Vesta, but she must voice this insurmountable objection.

"I--" she said, formulating the first word of her sentence,
and then stopping.

"Yes," he said. "I--what?"

"I--" She paused again.

He loved her shy ways, her sweet, hesitating lips.

"What is it, Jennie?" he asked helpfully. "You're so delicious.
Can't you tell me?"

Her hand was on the table. He reached over and laid his strong
brown one on top of it.

"I couldn't have a baby," she said, finally, and looked down.

He gazed at her, and the charm of her frankness, her innate decency
under conditions so anomalous, her simple unaffected recognition of
the primal facts of life lifted her to a plane in his esteem which she
had not occupied until that moment.

"You're a great girl, Jennie," he said. "You're wonderful. But
don't worry about that. It can be arranged. You don't need to have a
child unless you want to, and I don't want you to."

He saw the question written in her wondering, shamed face.

"It's so," he said. "You believe me, don't you? You think I know,
don't you?"

"Yes," she faltered.

"Well, I do. But anyway, I wouldn't let any trouble come to you.
I'll take you away. Besides, I don't want any children. There wouldn't
be any satisfaction in that proposition for me at this time. I'd
rather wait. But there won't be--don't worry."

"Yes," she said faintly. Not for worlds could she have met his
eyes.

"Look here, Jennie," he said, after a time. "You care for me, don't
you? You don't think I'd sit here and plead with you if I didn't care
for you? I'm crazy about you, and that's the literal truth. You're
like wine to me. I want you to come with me. I want you to do it
quickly. I know how difficult this family business is, but you can
arrange it. Come with me down to New York. We'll work out something
later. I'll meet your family. We'll pretend a courtship, anything you
like--only come now."

"You don't mean right away, do you?" she asked, startled.

"Yes, to-morrow if possible. Monday sure. You can arrange it. Why,
if Mrs. Bracebridge asked you you'd go fast enough, and n