e mercury freezing in the bulb.

If I were to tell you all the plans that were formulated upon that wagon
while it jolted and bumped over the frozen ruts of the Michigan road; if
I were to write down here all the words of hope and confidence in the
fickle future; if I were to tell you of the glances, touches, and words
of love that were given and spoken between sun-up and sun-down upon this
chariot of the gods--I will say of the blind god--I should never finish
writing, nor would you ever finish reading.

It was:--

"You will write to me every day?"

"Yes, every day."

"You will think of me every day and night?"

"Yes, Dic, every moment, and--"

"You will come back to me soon--very soon?"

"Yes, Dic, whenever you choose to take me."

"And you will be brave against your mother?"

"Yes, brave as I can be, for your sake, Dic. But you must not forget
that I cannot be very brave long at a time without help from you! Oh,
Dic, how can I bear to be so far away from you? I shall see you only on
Sundays; a whole week apart! You have never been from me so long since I
can remember till you went to New York. I told you trouble would come
from that trip; but you will come to me Sundays--by Saturday night's
stage?"

"Yes, every Sunday."

"Surely? You will never fail me? I shall die of disappointment if you
fail me once. All week I shall live on the hope of Sunday."

"I'll come, Rita. You need not fear."

"And Dic, you will not go often to see Sukey Yates, will you?"

"I'll not speak to her, if you wish. She is nothing to me. I'll not go
near her."

"No, I don't ask that. I fear I am very selfish. You will be lonely when
I am gone and--and you may go to see Sukey--and--and the other girls
once in a while. But you won't go too often to see Sukey and--and you
won't grow to caring for her--one bit, will you?"

"I will not go at all."

"Oh, but you must; I command you. You would think I do not trust you if
I would not let you go at all. I don't entirely trust her, though I am
sure I am wrong and wicked to doubt her; but I trust you, and would
trust you with any one."

"I, too, trust you, Rita. It will be impossible for you to mistreat
Williams, associated as he is with your father. For the sake of peace,
treat him well, but--"

"He shall never touch my hand, Dic; that I swear! I can't keep him from
coming to our house, but it will be torture when I shall be wanting you.
Oh, Dic--" and tears came before she could