st panicky of her moments and was getting
a grip on herself again. When, after Gratton had waited and fumed for
upward of an hour, she went downstairs she looked cool and pretty, and
quite unembarrassed. He flashed a look at her that was eloquent of
nervous excitement.

"I want to explain everything to you, Gloria----"

"It will take a good deal of explaining, won't it, Mr. Gratton?"

They went into the living-room and Gloria sat in a big chair while he
stood before her, his fingers tapping and tapping at his cigarette-case.

"You listened-in while I talked with mamma, didn't you?" she said
carelessly.

"No!" said Gratton, but so promptly that she knew he lied.

"Well?" she said indifferently. "Suppose we have the explanations now? I
am sure that they will prove interesting."

"I am afraid," he began, talking swiftly, "that I have been instrumental
in placing you in a false position. Last night I told you I had
telephoned to your mother. I did try; they reported the line out of
order. What could I do? I didn't want to alarm you. It was only a lark;
I meant innocently, you know that, don't you, Gloria?"

"Did you?" she said, and managed to keep her lips smiling.

"It is only since coming here that I have realized how things will look;
what people will think--and say, curse them. Our being out so long
together; my buying clothing for you----"

"Our being registered as Mr. and Mrs. Gratton----"

His eyes burned, his lips clamped tight.

"Forgive me, Gloria! It was the mad impulse of a moment. I thought as we
went in that it would look strange--a young, unmarried couple; that if I
put down man and wife no one would think anything at all. And we'd be
gone in a few hours; and probably you'd never go back there; and no one
would know who you were."

"I see." Gloria's tone, devoid of expression, gave no clue to her racing
thoughts. "You did that for my sake!"

"Yes," he said eagerly. "As I would do anything on earth for your sake.
You know that, Gloria; you know, and have known for a long
time--always--that I love you. I was going to ask you soon to--to marry
me, Gloria. And now, now you will marry me, won't you?"

"Yes." But Gloria did not say it aloud; not yet. She merely made it
perfectly clear to Miss Gloria Gaynor that she was going to marry
Gratton, and that there was to be no further question of it. And, oh,
God! at this fateful moment, how she hated him! How she loathed and
detested him! While a week a