don't suppose my
handwriting did look quite natural to you."

Her eyes were solemn but contented as she looked into his face, and saw
that in spite of his words he was as much mystified as herself. Slowly
she presented to him the letter which he had never seen. His face grew
grave and tender as he read it line for line.

"It is mine!" he said. "I wrote it. I sent it. I've sent it a
thousand times to you before now, across the mountains."

"Is it signed with your heart, Dan?" she whispered.

"With my heart--yes, yes!"

"It is beautiful," said she, simply. And so they dropped between them
the letter to the queen. Hand in hand they stepped to the door, the
room too small now to contain their happiness.

Two stumbling figures fleeing, pigeon-toed and sharp-heeled, on the
further side of the _arroyo_ meant much to Dan Anderson. A laugh
choked in his throat as he caught her once more in his arms.

"It looks like Willie had made good!" said Tom Osby to Curly, as he took
a swift glance back over his shoulder.

But Constance and her lover had forgotten all the world, as they stepped
out now into the glory of the twilight of Heart's Desire.

"You remember," said he--"up there--the other time?" He nodded toward
the head of the _arroyo_, where lay the garden of the Littlest Girl.

"You broke my heart," she murmured. "I loved you, Dan. What could I
do?"

"Don't!" he begged as he tightened his arm about her. "I loved _you_,
Constance--what could _I_ do? We've been through the fire together.
It has all come right. It's all so beautiful."

They stood together at the little garden spot. Two brave red roses now
blossomed there, and he plucked them both, pinning them at her throat
with hands that trembled. They turned and looked out over the little
valley, and to them it seemed a golden cup overrunning with joy.

"Heart's Desire," he murmured, and once more his cheek rested against
hers.

"Yes," she whispered vaguely, "all, all--your Heart's Desire, I
hope--and mine--_mine_."

"It's the world," he murmured. "It is the Beginning. We are the very
first. Oh, Eve! Eve!"

***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HEART'S DESIRE***

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