couldn't see why, unless it was because she
didn't want one. She looked up at me sort of shy and said she might have
had one most any time, but that there had never been one she cared for
before.

"I could have hugged her right there on the dock for that 'before,' but it
was time for the boat to start. There weren't many going. It was early in
the season, she said. We went up on deck and sat by the rail and maybe old
Lake Michigan didn't look sparkling! Everything looked sparkling to me.
She was as happy as a kid with a new doll, because she had never been on a
boat before. When we got to the place--St. Joe, she said it was--there
were all sorts of things to do that beat Chicago all to bits for a good
time. There was a big sandy beach that made me want to go in the water,
but she said it was too early. So we sat in the sun-warmed sand and
watched the waves, and we got our pictures taken, and tried a Wheel of
Fortune. We went to a big hotel and had a good dinner, though they didn't
have any of the things that were down on their program. The waiter said it
was a bill of fare left over from last year. We didn't mind that. After
dinner we rode out to a place to see some guys that looked like pictures
in the Old Testament. They lived in David's House, too.

"It was an awfully short afternoon someway. We had supper at the hotel and
took the boat home. What few passengers there were besides us stayed shut
up in the cabin, so we had the deck and the light of the new moon all to
ourselves.

"She shivered a little, but I had brought an extra coat, because I had
seen Reilly before I went and he told me to take one. I wrapped her up in
it, and when I buttoned it around her chin, I did what I'd been aching to
do since I first met her, but had slipped on my courage. She was looking
down in a shy, little way she has--and I kissed her. When she lifted her
eyes, there was such a surprised little look in them, I felt just as if I
had hurt a baby.

"'I didn't mean to do it,' I said, 'but I couldn't help it. Will you
forgive me?'

"'I'll forgive you,' she said in a low voice after a moment, 'but you
mustn't--again.'

"She meant it, so I didn't, but she let me hold her hand and we sat quiet
and watched the moon-shine on the water.

"I asked her if she'd had a good time, and she told me it had been the
most wonderful day of her life--different from all others.

"'Honest?' I asked.

"She didn't answer, but looked off over the wate