?"

For the girl was crying, slowly, without hysteria, crying with both her
hands tightly clasped over her eyes.

"_I_ did not need it, not I," continued the man, earnestly. "I knew you
had done nothing of your free will that the whole world might not know.
But I knew, too, that you would be pleased to have your innocence
established. And I was glad for another reason. I love you, Daisy. I
have loved you a very long time. Your sister was right in that. Had you
not shown such a marked preference for my friend I would have done my
best to win you, months and months ago. While you felt that you were an
object of suspicion I knew you would not consent to be my wife. Now,
that obstacle is gone and--Daisy--I want you."

The hands were withdrawn from the tear-stained face, a handkerchief was
hastily passed over it, and Daisy turned half away from the speaker.

"You will not refuse, my love," he murmured, bending again toward her.
"You will promise?"

One of her hands strayed toward him, and was clasped joyfully in his
own.

"But, in relation to that other matter," said Daisy, some moments later,
when the sweet tokens of love had been given and taken, "I must be as
silent as before. I have listened to you, but I have not replied. You
can understand the reason. Never speak of it to me again, if you do not
wish to inflict pain. It is something I cannot discuss."

"I may tell your father, though," he whispered.

"It would be best not. He is content now. No, I beg you, say nothing to
any one."

And he promised, like the lover he was, and sealed it with another kiss
on her pure mouth.

"I may tell him of--of our love?" he asked.

"Oh, yes; we will tell him of that together."

CHAPTER XXVIII.

TRAPPING A WOLF.

When Shirley Roseleaf left the hotel that morning he carried a fishing
rod, a rifle, a gamebag and other acoutrements of the sportsman. In his
earlier years, before he ever came to the city, he had been accounted
something of an expert with these implements. Since being in this
country where there was so much to tempt a Nimrod he had made a number
of similar excursions. Although it was some distance to the locality
where he intended to go the young man did not take a conveyance of any
kind. He walked briskly over the road, breathing the pure air of that
early hour, and whistling in a low tone to himself as he went along.

Among the other things he carried was a light lunch, for he did not care
to br