n her lips.

Her eyes drooped under his passionate gaze, and the tears slowly stole
down her cheeks. Her hour of life had struck! So suddenly, so utterly
unexpectedly, it rang a thunderbolt from the clear sky.

"You will, won't you?" he pleaded.

She smiled at him through her tears and slowly said:

"I can't say yes today."

"Why--why?"

"You've swept me off my feet--I--I can't think."

"I don't want you to think--I want you to marry me right now."

"I must have a little time."

His face fell in despair.

"Say, little girl, don't turn me down--you'll kill me."

"I'm not turning you down," she protested tenderly. "I only want time to
see that I'm not crazy. I have to pinch myself to see if I'm awake. It
all seems a dream"--she paused and lifted her radiant face to his--"a
beautiful dream--the most wonderful my soul has ever seen. I must be
sure it's real!"

He drew her into his arms, and her body again relaxed in surrender as
his lips touched hers.

"Isn't that the real thing?" he laughed.

She lay very still, her eyes closed, her face a scarlet flame. She was
frightened at the swift realization of its overwhelming reality. The
touch of his hand thrilled to the last fiber and nerve of her body. Her
own trembling fingers clung to him with desperate longing tenderness.
She roused herself with an effort and drew away.

"That's enough now. I must have a little common-sense. Let's go----"

He clung to her hand.

"You'll let me come to see you, tomorrow night?"

"Yes----"

"And the next night--and every night this week--what's the difference?
There's nobody to say no, is there?"

"No one."

"You'll let me?"

"Tomorrow sure. Maybe you won't want to come the next night."

"Maybe I won't! Just wait and see!"

He seized both hands again and held her at arms' length.

"Don't go yet--just let me look at you a minute more! The only girl I
ever had in my life--and she's the prettiest thing God ever made on this
earth. Ain't I the lucky boy?"

"We must go now," she cried, blushing again under his burning eyes.

He dropped her hands suddenly and saluted military fashion.

"All right, teacher! I'm the little boy that does exactly what he's
told."

They strolled leisurely along the shining sands in silence. Now and then
his slender hand caught hers and crushed it. The moment he touched her
a living flame flashed through her body--and through every moment of
contact her nerves throbbed and quivered as