im was too
dazed to do anything but sit and gasp. He had held her hand, and she had
let him do it. He had, with amazing intrepidity, taken her arm walking
down the long avenue of trees, and she made no attempt to withdraw it.
Quick work was needed before some fly came and settled in the ointment! He
got in his quick work that evening after dinner.

"Won't you come to the top of the hill? It's a full moon and a fine
night," he whispered.

She nodded and, getting a scarf, went out with him. Blue, brilliant
moonlight flooded the country. From out of the trees came the eerie cry of
owls, and crickets sang out of nowhere. A few bars of gold still lingered
in the western sky, deepening as the world moved over.

"I'm going back to-morrow," he said suddenly.

"Ah----!"

Was it a sigh, or merely an indifferent ejaculation?

"This holiday has been right down beautiful."

"I'm glad of that."

A slight breeze blew the scarf from her neck. He took it and replaced it,
and his hand touched the soft warm flesh. It stayed there. He had no
power to remove it. This girl of unearthly beauty and fascination
paralyzed him. To think that he should be sitting there with the
perfectest woman God ever made----! The storm within him broke. His body
quivered, and his great hand took the warm slim one and held it like a
vice.

"Angela--I've gotta tell you. I--love you. I've loved you since the first
night I saw you. I've never wanted anything in my life like I want you."

He stopped, realizing that he was gabbing at a terrific rate.

"I'm rough--real rough, I know. But a man's a man for all that, I guess.
And what can any man offer you better'n love--love that ... I'm no good at
words--you'll understand that. Chin music ain't my line. But I'm sure
crazy about you."

The hand he held trembled a little, but it stayed there.

"Angela--will you marry me?"

Her head turned. He saw the moon reflected in two glorious eyes.

"Yes," she said slowly.

"You mean--you mean that?" he gasped, his voice almost choked with
unutterable joy.

"Yes--I mean that."

In another second she was swept up in his arms. All the world went out in
that passionate embrace. For the first time in his life his mouth touched
a woman's lips.

Featherstone paced up and down the library under the strain of
considerable emotion, not to say excitement. Her Ladyship sat with an
unread book on her knees gazing into nothingness.

"They're a long time," said Feathe