e first thing is to find Edith Congdon and you may trust us for that.
I will seize this moment to say," he added quietly, "that you are even
lovelier than I remembered you!"

"You are very bold, sir! You wouldn't have said that a very little while
ago."

"You complained once that I wasn't bold enough! Now that I come to you
red handed and for all you know with stolen silver in my pocket, you
can't complain of my forwardness. I am a rascal of high degree, as you
would have me be. And I now declare myself your most relentless suitor!
I trust my frankness pleases you?"

"Your adventures in rascality have added to your plausibility. I almost
believe you--but not quite. You seem to be extremely vulnerable to
feminine blandishments. There's Sally, the milkmaid. Remember that I saw
you kiss her with rather more than brotherly warmth. Still, I suppose
you'd earned some reward for your daring."

"A bluff old man-at-arms ought to be forgiven for pausing in his wild
career to kiss a pretty lass at the wayside!" he growled.

His mock-heroic attitude toward his exploits kept her laughing, until
she said, quite soberly:

"Please don't think I'm so awfully frivolous, for I really am not. And
to be sitting in a place like this among all these highly proper people
talking of the dreadful things you've done is simply ridiculous. When I
undertook to hide Edith Congdon from her father I couldn't see that
there would be anything wrong in it! And yet I would have been a
kidnaper, I suppose."

"And you've cheerfully turned the job over to me," he said, finding it
now his turn to be amused. "When you gave me your warrant to destroy all
the kingdoms of the world you forgot that there might be unpleasant
consequences. But I assure you that after a few days you don't care
much!"

"It's so deliciously dreadful! And only the other day you were in mortal
terror of sudden death."

"I've forgotten I ever had a nerve. To be sure our little
misunderstandings nearly broke my heart, but now that you've smiled
again I'm ready for anything. I might say further that in the end I
shall expect my reward. If there are other men who love you they will do
well to keep out of my path. We shall meet somewhere or other soon, I
hope!"

"From what you say of your friend's faith in the stars there's no use
planning. I shall remain here a day or two in the hope of hearing from
Mrs. Congdon. She loves her husband and from what Ruth says he's really
devoted