him, I bet!"

Flea buried her face deeper into the soft counterpane; but she managed
to make an affirmative gesture with her head.

Floyd was silent, and sometime passed before he heard the girl's
smothered voice:

"And I'm goin' to love him always--even after we go away!"

"We ain't goin' away," said Floyd.

"Who said so?"

"Mr. Shellington."

"When?"

"Last night."

Fledra lifted her head and grasped the boy's thin hands in hers.

"You're sure it was last night, Fluke?"

"Yep, I be sure. I was layin' here with my face to the wall. When Sister
Ann comes in nights, if I don't say anything, she thinks I be asleep,
and she kisses me, and I like her to do that. Last night, when she'd
done kissing me, Mr. Shellington came in, and then they talked about
us."

"And he didn't say we was to go away?"

"No."

Fledra rose in sudden determination, and in her excitement spoke with
swift reversion to the ancient manner.

"Flukey, ye be the best da----"

Flukey thrust up a reproving finger which stopped the oath.

"Flea!" he cautioned.

"I were only goin' to say, Flukey," said Flea humbly, "that ye be the
best kid in all the world. Don't tell anybody what I said about my
Prince."

She went out quickly.

* * * * *

With her hand upon her heart, Flea halted before the library. She knew
that Horace was there; for she could hear the rustling of papers. At her
timid knock, he bade her enter. Her tongue clove so closely to the roof
of her mouth that for a minute she could not speak. She held out her
fingers, and Horace took them in his. His face whitened at her touch;
but he gazed steadily at her.

"You've--you've something to say to me, Fledra--sweetheart?"

The hope in his voice rang out clearly. Fledra nodded.

"What?"

He was determined she should explain away the black thing that had
arisen between them.

"I didn't come to tell ye about what happened," said she; "but to say
that, if ye don't smile and don't touch me sometimes, I'll die--I know I
will!" Her tones were disjointed with emotion, and she felt the hands
holding hers tighten.

"I can't smile when I'm unhappy, Fledra. I can't! I can't! This past
week has been almost unbearable."

"It's been that way with me, too," said Flea simply.

"Then why don't you make us both happy by being honest with me? If you
didn't care for me, I should have no right to force your confidence; but
you really do, don't you?"