I
hurried along, for I have a great many things to tell you. No," in
answer to her question, "I have not had supper--I couldn't wait. I
wanted to see you. I've made, a big discovery."

Martha had put the tea-kettle on and was stirring the fire.

"Don't bother getting any supper for me until I tell you what I found
out."

She turned around and faced him, her heart beating faster at the
eagerness in his voice.

"Martha, dear," he said, "I cannot do without you--that's the
discovery I made. I have been lonely--lonely for this broad prairie
and you. The Old Country seemed to stifle me; everything is so little
and crowded and bunched up, and so dark and foggy--it seemed to
smother me. I longed to hear the whirr of prairie chickens and see
the wild ducks dipping in the river; I longed to hear the sleighs
creaking over the frosty roads; and so I've come home to all
this--and you, Martha," He came nearer and held out his arms. "You're
the girl for me."

Martha drew away from him. "Arthur, are you sure?" she cried.
"Perhaps it's just the country you're in love with. Are you sure it
isn't just the joy of getting back to it all. It can't be me--I am
only a plain country girl, not pretty, not educated, not clever,
not----"

He interrupted her in a way that made further speech not only
impossible but quite unnecessary.

"Martha, I tell you it is you that makes me love this country. When I
thought of the sunlit prairie it was your dear eyes that made it
glorious. Your voice is sweeter than the meadowlark's song at
sunrise. You are the soul of this country for me--you stand for it
all. You are the sunshine, the birdsong, the bracing air, the broad
outlook, the miles of golden wheat. Now, tell me, dear, for you
haven't told me yet, are you glad to see me back?"

"But what would your mother say?" Martha asked, evading his question.
"Arthur, think of the people at home."

He opened his pocket-book and took out a leather case. Springing the
lid, he handed it to her, saying: "My mother knows all about you, and
she sends you this."

Martha took out the beautiful necklace of pearls and read the tender
little note, inside the case. Her eyes filled with happy tears, and
looking up into Arthur's smiling face, her last doubt vanished.

A few hours later, when the old clock on the wall, slowly struck the
midnight hour, telling them that another Christmas morning had come,
they listened to it, hand in hand without a spoken word, bu