w, Thursa," he said steadily,
"that chapter is closed forever."

She looked at him in astonishment. "Why don't you get excited and
threaten to shoot yourself and all that?"

"Because I have no notion of doing it," he said.

"Well, I do wish you would be a little bit melodramatic--this is
deadly uninteresting. I would have loved to write home something
really thrilling."

"This is thrilling enough for me, Thursa," he answered. Then, after a
pause, he said, "Shall I send your telegram?"

"Not just yet," she answered. "You see, Arthur, I want to be sure. I
know that Mr. Smeaton is lovely and all that, but I want to be sure
he is a gentleman. I want you to go and see him; Arthur. I will do
whatever you say."

She came and put her hands on Arthur's shoulders and looked up at
him.

"Arthur, I have not treated you very well, but you'll do this for me,
and if you find that he is not--" she hesitated--"I do not like to
speak of him in this way, it doesn't seem right to doubt him, and I
don't doubt him really; but you will do it, won't you, Arthur?"

"I will not do it!" he cried. "Don't ask me to do this!"

"And Arthur, if you come back and say that I must forget him, I will,
try to, and I will marry you and try to like all these horrid little
pots and pans. I truly will, and we will never speak of this again."

She was looking into his face as she spoke, and there was an
earnestness in the depths of her violet eyes, a sweet womanliness,
that he had never seen before.

"Oh, Thursa!" he cried, his voice quivering with tenderness. "You are
making it hard for me--how can I help but perjure myself to win you?
Any man would lie to you rather than lose you. Send some one else; I
can't do it. I can't come back and tell you he is worthy of you."

Thursa drew his face down to hers and kissed his cheek.

"Arthur, I know you, and I will trust you. You couldn't lie; you
don't know how, and you will do this, for me."

CHAPTER XXVI

IN HONOUR'S WAYS

O memories that bless and burn,
O barren gain and bitter loss,
I kiss each bead and try at last to learn
To kiss the cross.

_----My Rosary._

ARTHUR went to Brandon that night, presumably on business relating to
his house-furnishing. Not even Martha knew the nature of his visit to
the Wheat City. It was late in the evening when he arrived, so late
that he was unable to make any inquiries, but was forced to spend the
night in uncertainty, with