a child.

"Dear, I am sorry for what I said and did. I can't make any excuses, I
just lost control. The thought of your going away maddened me. I can't
help loving you, caring for you. I have done that now for years. I
didn't mean to speak to you until I had made good. And now I have
spoiled it all by my recklessness," he added, bitterly.

Then quickly changing his tone of voice to a more cheerful one, he
continued: "Dear, never mind, we can be the same old friends again,
can't we?"

"Yes, and no, Jim," quietly responded Dorothy, who had already felt a
complete change that before she didn't realize and even now didn't
understand.

Jim seized her hands and asked hurriedly, "Could you love me? Could
you? You don't know how much I would give for just one little word of
hope. Don't leave me back here in New York, working, fighting, all by
myself with no word of cheer. Answer me girl, answer me. Could you
care, not as much as I do, now, but just a little?"

"Jim, I do, a little," was all she could manage to say before she was
seized eagerly in his arms again and having kisses showered upon her
hair, cheeks and lips.

"Jim, Jim, you are behaving shamefully and mussing me all up," she
said, struggling to free herself, but she was held fast and stern
tones pleaded, "I just can't let you go now. I just can't."

"Jim, dear, you must or I won't even love you a little," she laughed.

"Well, if I must, I must," he said, kissing her just once again. "My
girl, my own girl," he added.

"Jim, I haven't promised you anything, and I just said I cared for you
a little. I'd have to love you a lot before I could promise you
anything. You mustn't call me yours. If, when I come back from my
trip, and that's a long time from now, I do love you----" added
Dorothy.

"You will promise me then? You will? Oh girl, you make me so happy, so
happy!" cried Jim. "I will work so hard all winter and save up so
much. I have considerable saved up now. Then you will come to me,
girl?"

"I said if I did love you then," teased Dorothy, "and that's if----"

"You little tease," interrupted Jim. "I will punish you."

"No you won't," Dorothy added quickly. "And never, never say anything
of the kind to me again, or even try to love me, or I'll just never,
never love you. I have my music to attend to and you mustn't disturb
my practice or even try to make me think of you when I should be
thinking of it."

"Very well," acquiesced Jim, sadly, "it wi