I shall never kiss you again."

"I love you."

"Love," she said, with a sort of tense quiet, "does not kiss and run
away."

"My heart never ran away. I swear it. Marry me, Becky."

He had never expected to ask her. But now that he had done it, he was
glad.

She was swayed by his earnestness, by the thought of all he had meant to
her in her dreams of yesterday. But to-day was not yesterday, and George
was not the man of those dreams. Yet, why not? There was the quick
laughter, with its new ring of sincerity, the sparkling eyes, the Apollo
head.

"Marry me, Becky."

Beyond the pool which reflected the little star was the dark outline of
the box hedge, and beyond the hedge, the rise of the hill showed dark
against the dull silver of the sky--a shadow seemed to rise suddenly in
that dim brightness, the tall thin shadow of a man with a clear-cut
profile, and a high-held head!

Becky drew a sharp breath--then faced Dalton squarely. "I am going to
marry Randy."

[Illustration: Becky drew a sharp breath--then faced Dalton squarely. "I
am going to marry Randy."]

His laugh was triumphant----

"Do you think I am going to let you? You are mine, Becky, and you know
it. _You are mine_----"

V

Randy, having made a record run with Little Sister to the Flippins', had
brought back Major Prime. When he returned Becky had disappeared. He
looked for her, knowing all the time that she had gone down into the
garden to meet Dalton. And he had brought Dalton back to her, he had
given him this opportunity to plead his cause, had given him the
incentive of a man of his kind to still pursue; he had, as he had said,
let Becky in for it, and now he was raging at the thought.

Nellie Custis, padding at his heels, had known that something disturbed
him. He walked restlessly from room to room, from porch to porch, across
the lawn, skirted the garden, stopped now and then to listen, called once
when he saw a white figure alone by the big gate, "Becky!"

Nellie knew who it was that he wanted. And at last she instituted a
search on her own account. She went through the garden, passed the pool,
found Becky's feet in blue slippers, and rushed back to her master with
an air of discovery.

But Randy would not follow her. He must, he knew, set a curb on his
impatience. He walked beyond the gate, following the ridge of the hill
to the box hedge. He was not in the least aware that his shadow showed
up against the sil