ourself," he complained, "and I'm so
very reasonable."

"True, Billy," said Miss Tennant. "But if I put up with your secrets,
you should put up with mine."

"I have none," said he, "unless you are rudely referring to the fact
that I gave my wife such grounds for divorce as every gentleman must be
prepared to give to a lady who has tired of him. I might have contracted
a pleasant liaison; but I didn't. I merely drove up and down Piccadilly
with a notorious woman until the courts were sufficiently scandalized.
You know that."

"But is it nothing," she said, "to have me feel this way toward you?"
And she leaned and rested her lovely cheek against his.

"At least, Dolly," said he, more gently, "announce our engagement, and
marry me inside of six months. I've been patient for eighteen. It would
have been easy if you had given a good reason...."

"My reason," said she, "will be in Aiken to-morrow."

"You speak with such assurance," said he, smiling, "that I feel sure
your reason is not travelling by the Southern. And you'll tell me the
reason to-morrow?"

She shook her head.

"Not to-morrow, Billy--now."

He made no comment, fearing that she might seize upon any as a pretext
for putting him off. But he slipped an arm around her waist.

"Tighter if you like," she said. "I don't mind. My reason, Billy, is a
young man. Don't let your arm slacken that way. I don't see any one or
anything beyond you in any direction in this world. You know that.
There is nothing in the expression 'a young man' to turn you suddenly
cold toward me. Don't be a goose.... Not so tight." They laughed
happily. "I will even tell you his name," she resumed--"David Larkin;
and I was a little gone on him, and he was over ears with me. You
weren't in Aiken the year he was. Well, he misbehaved something
dreadful, Billy; betted himself into a deep, deep hole, and tried to
float himself out. I took him in hand, loaned him money, and took his
solemn word that he would not even make love until he had paid me back.
There was no real understanding between us, only----"

"Only?" McAllen was troubled.

"Only I think he couldn't have changed suddenly from a little fool into
a man if _he_ hadn't felt that there was an understanding. And his
letters, one every week, confirm that; though he's very careful, because
of his promise, not to make love in them.... You see, he's been working
his head off--there's no way out of it, Billy--for me.... If you hadn't