be frightened. She need never know. I'll take the blame for
everything. I am the Travers Gladwin you were going to elope with, and
I'll go to jail if necessary."

He paused for breath, while Helen rose from her chair and protested.

"Impossible, Mr. Gladwin. I"----

"Nothing of the sort," the young man stopped her. "It is perfectly
possible, and I only wish that I were the man you had chosen to elope
with. I'd elope with you now--in a minute--aunt or no aunt."

"You must not talk that way," cried the young girl, her face aflame.
"You are only saying this out of politeness, a sense of chivalry, and
while I appreciate all you are doing for me I could not accept any
such sacrifice."

"Sacrifice!" he retorted, with increasing ardor. "Call it blessing;
call it heavenly boon; call it the pinnacle of my desire, the apogee
of my hopes--call it anything in the world but sacrifice."

"Oh, you must not talk to me this way!" exclaimed the girl, sinking
back into her chair and covering her face with her hands.

"But I certainly must," the young man reeled on. "It is the truth, the
whole truth and nothing but the truth. It has come upon me like a
stroke of lightning--it may not seem reasonable--it may not seem sane.
I can't help that. It is here--inside of me"----

"Stop," Helen interposed again, her voice faint and tremulous. "You
are taking advantage of my helpless situation. Why, you hardly know
me!" she added, with a swift change of tone as if she had made a
sudden discovery. Taking her hands from her face she looked up at him
through widening eyes misty with tears.

The young man bit his lip and turned his head away.

"Pardon me," he said bitterly, after a moment's pause. "I had not
thought of it in that light. It does seem as if I were taking
advantage of you." He looked at her steadily a moment until she
dropped her eyes.

"Can you think I am that sort of a man?" he asked abruptly and the
tenseness of his voice made her glance up at him again.

Helen made another remarkable discovery--that he had fine eyes and a
splendid mouth and nose.

"Can you think I am that sort of a man?" he repeated slowly, forcing
her to continue to yield her eyes to his earnest regard.

"No, no," Helen returned hastily. "I did not mean it that way--only I
cannot quite understand it. You never saw me till a few hours ago, and
then--and then I was engaged"----

She paused and shuddered.

"But that was a case of hypnotism," burst out