d in a voice sharp with the intensity of his feeling.

In an instant they were both on their feet and facing each other.

"Jane, dear, dear Jane, I love you so, and I want you so." He stretched
out his arms to take her.

Startled, her face gone deadly pale, she put out her hands against his
breast, pushing him away from her.

"Larry!" she said. "Larry, what are you saying?"

"Oh, Jane, I am saying I love you; with all my heart and soul, I love
you and I want you, Jane. Don't you love me a bit, even a little bit?"

Slowly her arms dropped to her side. "You love me, Larry?" she
whispered. Her eyes began to glow like stars in a pool of water, deep
and lustrous, her lips to quiver. "You love me, Larry, and you want me
to--to--"

"Yes, Jane, I want you to be my wife."

"Your wife, Larry?" she whispered, coming a little closer to him. "Oh,
Larry," she laid her hands upon his breast, "I love you so, and I
have loved you so long." The lustrous eyes were misty, but they looked
steadily into his.

"Dear heart, dear love," he said, drawing her close to him and still
gazing into her eyes.

She wound her arms about his neck and with lips slightly parted lifted
her face to his.

"Jane, Jane, you wonderful girl," he said, and kissed the parted lips,
while about them heaven opened and took them to its bosom.

When they had come back to earth Larry suddenly recalled his
conversation with her father. "Jane," he said, "when shall we be
married? I must tell your father."

"Married?" said Jane in a voice of despair. "Not till you return,
Larry." Then she clung to him trembling. "Oh, why were you so slow,
Larry? Why did you delay so long?"

"Slow?" cried Larry. "Well, we can make up for it now." He looked at his
watch. "It's nine o'clock, Jane. We can be married to-night."

"Nonsense, you silly boy!"

"Then to-morrow we shall be married, I swear. We won't make Helen's
mistake." And he told her of Helen Brookes's supreme regret. "We won't
make that mistake, Jane. To-morrow! To-morrow! To-morrow it will be!"

"But, Larry, listen. Papa--"

"Your father will agree."

"And my clothes?"

"Clothes? You don't need any. What you have on will do."

"This old thing?"

"Perfectly lovely, perfectly splendid. Never will you wear anything so
lovely as this."

"And then, Larry, what should I do? Where would I go? You are going
off."

"And you will come with me."

But Jane's wise head was thinking swiftly. "I might come acro