g into a pale, white fairy
with extremely frightened eyes. A very dignified fairy, too, although
her heart thumped disgracefully. Having taken a most brazen step
forward, she was now for taking two panicky ones back.

Therefore she pretended not to hear Nikky behind her, and was completely
engrossed in the city lights.

So Hedwig intended to be remote, and Nikky meant to be firm and very,
very loyal. Which shows how young and inexperienced they were. Because
any one who knows even the beginnings of love knows that its victims
suffer from an atrophy of both reason and conscience, and a hypertrophy
of the heart.

Whatever Nikky had intended--of obeying his promise to the letter, of
putting his country before love, and love out of his life--failed him
instantly. The Nikky, ardent-eyed and tender-armed, who crossed the
roof and took her almost fiercely in his arms, was all lover--and
twenty-three.

"Sweetheart!" he said. "Sweetest heart!"

When, having kissed her, he drew back a trifle for the sheer joy of
again catching her to him, it was Hedwig who held out her arms to him.

"I couldn't bear it," she said simply. "I love you. I had to see you
again. Just once."

If he had not entirely lost his head before, he lost it then. He stopped
thinking, was content for a time that her arms were about his neck, and
his arms about her, holding her close. They were tense, those arms of
his, as though he would defy the world to take her away.

But, although he had stopped thinking, Hedwig had not. It is, at such
times, always the woman who thinks. Hedwig, plotting against his honor
and for his happiness and hers, was already, with her head on his
breast, planning the attack. And, having a strategic position, she fired
her first gun from there.

"Never let me go, Nikky," she whispered. "Hold me, always."

"Always!" said Nikky, valiantly and absurdly.

"Like this?"

"Like this," said Nikky, who was, like most lovers, not particularly
original. He tightened his strong arms about her.

"They are planning such terrible things." Shell number two, and high
explosive. "You won't let them take me from you, will you?"

"God!" said poor Nikky, and kissed her hair. "If we could only be like
this always! Your arms, Hedwig,--your sweet arms!" He kissed her arms.

Gun number three now: "Tell me how much you love me."

"I--there are no words, darling. And I couldn't live long enough to tell
you, if there were." Not bad that, for in