n't want you to think. I didn't ask you to think. Just love
me--that's all. And marry me soon, Girl-with-the-blue-eyes. Soon. It
must be soon--sooner than to-morrow--"

Splittingly the thunder crashed close behind them, a vivid white line
cleaving sharply the snarling clouds. Like a sleeper Lance opened the
eyes he had closed against her hair and lifted his head. "I must take
you home," he said more calmly. "It's going to storm--hard. But let me
tell you, sweetheart,--it can't storm as hard as I can love. I'll take
you home, and then you'll marry me."

Mary Hope's face was pale and radiant. She did not say that she would
marry him--nor did she say that she would not. Her eyes were misty
with tears until she winked hard, when they shone softly. Lance had
never seen them so blue. She stood still, her hands clasped together
tightly while he gathered up the reins and mounted. He pulled his foot
from the left stirrup, reached down to her and smiled. Never had she
seen him smile like that. Never had she seen that look in his eyes.
She breathed deep, reached up and caught the saddle horn, put her foot
in the stirrup and let him lift her beside him.

Against Coaley's nervous pull at the bit Lance held a steadying hand
and laughed. "It's Fate, girl. Let the storm come. We'll beat it--it
can't hurt us. Nothing can hurt us now." He had to shout above the
crashing thunder. "Do you love me, sweetheart?" His eyes, close to her
own, flamed softly, making Mary Hope think dizzily of altar fires.

"I do--I do!" She gasped. "Oh, I cannot think how I love you--it
scares me to think!" Her arm was around his neck, her face was turned
to his.

He saw her lips form the words, guessed what it was she was saying.
The crash on crash of thunder beat the sound of her voice to
nothingness. The white glare of the lightning flashes blinded them.
Coaley, quivering, his nostrils belling until they showed all red
within, his big eyes staring, forged ahead, fighting the bit.

"He's rinning away wi' us!" shouted Lance, his lips close to her ear,
and laughed boyishly.

"Mother--" he heard her say, and pulled her higher in his arms, so
that he could be sure that she heard him.

"I'll just pick your little old mother up in my arms and make her love
me, too!" he cried. "Nothing can spoil our love--_nothing!_"

As though the gods themselves chided his temerity, the very heavens
split and shattered all sound with rending uproar. Coaley squatted,
stopp