nce end itself
there.

He sat for a moment looking straight at the middle of the path before
him. Then deliberately he turned about, put his arm behind her again,
and took her hand in his.

"Janet," he said, "if you had been here in two or three months from
now, there was a question I had all made up to ask you."

"A question?"

"As long as you might have to go away, I might as well tell you
now--before you are gone. I was going to ask you in two or three
months whether, if---- But no. That is n't fair. What I mean is,
_will_ you marry me? Would you?"

Janet paused during a space that would best be represented by a musical
rest--a silence in the midst of a symphony. Then her clear eyes turned
toward him.

"Yes, Steve; I would."

"You would! Do you mean that _now_--for keeps?"

"I could go and live with you anywhere in the world. I could _almost_
have answered that two days ago."

Her hand was taken tighter in his grasp. The edge of his sombrero
touched the top of her head, and she felt herself being taken under its
broad brim with a sense of everlasting shelter. And just then they
were interrupted. A visitor to the court-room came up the
path--unnoticed till he was almost past. At the same time there was a
sound of footsteps coming down the courthouse steps. It was the
Professor. Seeing which Steve released her hand and assumed a more
conventional public attitude until this particular spectator should be
gone. The Professor passed. He kept on his way down the path and did
not look back; whereupon Steve took possession of her hand again. It
was such a fine delicate hand to him--so small and tender a hand to
have to grapple with things of this rough world; he looked at it
thoughtfully and hefted it as so much precious property in his own.

"I am mighty glad you said that," he offered. "I was afraid you might
have to leave. That's why I wanted you to pass."

"And that's why I _wanted_ to pass, too," she said.

Now that the coast was clear they resumed their confessions. At times
they sat in silence, holding hands.

As the time approached when they ought to start back, they were
reminded to make more definite plans. He would take her to Merrill,
leave the horse and buggy there, and come home to Thornton on the night
train. On the following day he would come down with one of his own
horses to get the buggy and she could ride up "home" with him and catch
the early train back.

"I wan