hould last
forever?"

"Of course it will." She dimpled up at him, snuggling herself in the
arm that still encircled her shoulders. "Of course it will." She
balanced her racquet on the top of his head as he bent adoringly over
her. "Of course it will,--unless your grim old Presbyterians manse all
the life out of me."

"If it ever begins, tell me," he begged, "and we'll join the Salvation
Army. There's life enough even for you."

"I beat you," she teased, irrelevantly. "I am surprised,--a great big
man like you."

"And to-morrow we'll be in St. Louis."

"Yes," she assented, weakening swiftly. "And the mansers will have me
in their deadly clutch."

"The only manser who will clutch you is myself." He drew her closer in
his arm as he spoke. "And you like it."

"Yes, I love it. And I like the mansers already. I hope they like me.
I am improving, you know. I am getting more dignified every day.
Maybe they will think I am a born Presbyterian if you don't give me
away. Have you noticed how serious I am getting?" She pinched
thoughtfully at his chin. "David Duke, we have been married two whole
weeks, and it is the most delicious, and breathless, and amazing thing
in the world. It is life--real life--all there is to life, really,
isn't it?"

"Yes, life is love, they say, so this is life. All the future must be
like this."

"I never particularly yearned to be dead," she said, wrinkling her
brows thoughtfully, "but I never even dreamed that I could be so happy.
I am awfully glad I didn't die before I found it out."

"You are happy, aren't you, sweetheart?"

She turned herself slowly in his arm and lifted puckering lips to his.

"Hey, wake up, are you playing tennis, or staging Shakespeare? We want
the court if you don't need it."

Mr. and Mrs. Duke, honeymooners, gazed speechlessly at the group of
young men standing motionless forty feet away, then Carol wheeled about
and ran swiftly across the velvety grass, over the hill and out of
sight, her husband in close pursuit.

Once she paused.

"If the mansers could have seen us then!" she ejaculated, with awe in
her voice.

CHAPTER II

MANSERS

The introduction of Mrs. David Arnold Duke, nee Methodist, to the
members of her husband's Presbyterian flock, was, for the most part,
consummated with grace and dignity. Only one untoward incident
lingered in her memory to cloud her lovely face with annoyance.

In honor of his very first honeym