peak? Or would he
spring with the leap of a young tiger the moment he realized what he
wanted?

Her own attitude was purely one of joyous expectancy. It would, of
course, be a long time before her feelings could take any definite
attitude toward a man. For the moment she was supremely happy. It was
enough. She made no effort to probe her feelings. She might return to
earth tomorrow. Today she was in Heaven. She would make the most of it.

They skimmed the wooded cliffs of Bay Ridge, her heart beating in
ecstasy at the revelation of beauty of whose existence she had not
dreamed.

"I bet you never saw this drive before, now did you?" he asked with
boyish enthusiasm.

"No--it's wonderful."

"Some view--eh?"

"Entrancing!"

"You know when I make my pile, I'd like a palace of white marble perched
on this cliff with the windows on the south looking out over Sandy Hook,
and the windows on the west looking over that fort on the top of Staten
Island with its black eyes gazing over the sea. How would you like
that?"

She turned away to mask the smile she couldn't repress.

"That would be splendid, wouldn't it?"

"I like the water, don't you?"

"I love it."

"Water and hills both right together! I reckon my father must 'a' been a
sea-captain and my mother from the mountains----"

He said this with a pathos that found the girl's heart. What a pitiful,
lonely life, a boy's without even the memory of a mother or father!
The mother instinct rose in a resistless flood of pity. Her eyes grew
suddenly dim.

"Well," he said briskly, "now for the dainty job! I've got to jump my
way through that Coney Island bunch. You see my low speed's a racing
pace for an everyday car. All I can do in a crowd is to jump from one
crossing to the next and cut her power off every time. You can bet I'll
make a guy or two jump with me----"

"You won't hurt anyone?" she pleaded.

"Lord, no! I wouldn't dare to put her through that mob in the afternoon.
I'd kill a regiment of 'em. But it's early--just the shank of the
morning. There's nobody down here yet."

The car suddenly leaped into the Avenue that runs through the heart of
Coney Island, the deep-throated horn screaming its warning. The crowd
scattered like sheep before a lion.

The girl laughed in spite of her effort at self-control.

"Watch 'em hump!" Jim grunted.

"It's funny, isn't it?"

"When you're in the car--yes. It don't seem so funny when you're on
foot. Well, some pe