earer
to Dorcas, from birth, than anyone or anything else on earth. To the
baby sister alone Dorcas ceased to be the grave-eyed and self-assured
Lady of Quality, and became a meek and worshiping devotee.

When Link Ferris at last mustered courage to ask Dorcas Chatham to
marry him his form of proposal would have been ruled out of any novel
or play. It consisted chiefly of a mouthful of half-swallowed,
half-exploded words, spoken all in one panic breath, to the
accompaniment of a mortal fear that shook him to the marrow.

Any other words, thus mouthed and gargled, would have required a full
college of languages to translate them. But the speech was along a line
perfectly familiar to every woman since Eve. And Dorcas understood. She
would have understood had Link voiced his proposal in the Choctaw
dialect instead of a slurringly mumbled travesty on English.

The man's stark earnestness of entreaty sent a queer flutter to the
very depths of her calm soul. But the flutter failed to reach or to
titillate the steady eyes. Nor did it creep into the level and
self-possessed voice, as Dorcas made quiet answer:

"Yes. I like you better than any other man I know. And I'll marry you,
if you're perfectly sure you care for me that way."

No, it was not the sort of reply Juliet made to the same question. It
is more than doubtful that Cleopatra answered thus, when Antony offered
to throw away the world for her sake. But it was a wholly correct and
self-respecting response. And Dorcas had been rehearsing it for nearly
a week.

Moreover, words are of use, merely as they affect their hearers. And
all the passion poetry of men and of angels could not have thrilled
Link Ferris as did Dorcas's correct and demure assent to his frenziedly
gabbled plea. It went through the lovesick man's brain and heart like
the breath of God.

And thus the couple became engaged.

With only a slight diminishing of his earlier fear did Link seek out
Old Man Chatham to obtain his consent to the match. Dizzy with joy and
relief he listened to that village worthy's ungracious assent also
secretly rehearsed for some days.

For the best part of a month thereafter Link Ferris floated through a
universe of roseate lights and soft music.

Then came the jar of awakening.

It was one Saturday evening, a week or so before the date set for the
wedding. Dorcas broached a theme which had been much in her mind since
the beginning of the engagement. She approached