e had not thought possible, she said: "Yes,
Jim, I surely have."

"Well, shake it off, Belle. Let some other mind have it. Use mine, if
you'll allow that I have one."

"I haven't slept all night for thinking of it, Jim," she began.

"Thinking of what?"

"Your going away."

His face clouded; he became suddenly silent and she continued:

"Jim, dear, I've tried to keep my feelings out of it altogether; I've
argued it out, using nothing but my judgment, and it seemed the wise
thing for you to go back East to college. All my judgment says: 'send
him back'; but, oh, all my instincts say 'keep him here.'" She covered
both his hands with hers and put her cheek on them for a moment.

"I'm always trying to be wise, Jim, but I suppose I'm really very stupid
and very weak like most humans; and there come times when I feel like
kicking everything over and saying 'what's the use?' This time I'm going
to let my feelings hold the reins."

"Why, Belle darling! That sounds more like me than you."

"Jim, as I lay awake last night, a voice seemed to be sounding in my
heart: 'Don't let him go. If he goes, you'll lose him, you'll lose each
other.' Jim, do you suppose God brought you and me together in this way,
to be so much to each other, to be exactly fitted to round out each
other's life, to let us separate now?"

"Belle, I believe He sent me out here to meet you, and any one coming
between us is going against God."

"I know, Jim. And yet I have the feeling, which I can't shake off, that
as sure as you go back to college, I shall lose you."

"Then, by Heaven! I won't go; and that settles it, Belle. I'll chuck the
whole thing." And his forehead flushed with passion.

She dropped her face on her knees and shook in a paroxysm of weeping.
All the emotional side of her nature--so carefully repressed throughout
these weeks and months of struggle--swept away their barriers. Now that
she had spoken the fear that was in her heart, the reality of the danger
that threatened their happiness crushed her down. Jim threw his arm
around her. "Belle, Belle, I can't see you cry that way. Belle, don't!
We are not going to part."

It was long before she found her voice. In broken sounds she sobbed: "I
can't give you up now," and she leaned toward him though still she hid
her face.

"Belle, why do you talk of such a thing? You won't give me up, because I
won't let you. I won't go, Belle, that's settled."

Her only answer was to cling to hi