Katy
started to carry them back to the room, Linda said "Wait a second," and
selecting one half opened, she slipped it out, shortened the stem and
tucked it among the coils of hair where she would have set an ornament.
The other package was a big box that when opened showed its interior
to be divided into compartments in each of which nestled an exquisite
flower made of spun sugar. The petals, buds, and leaves were
perfect. There were wonderful roses with pale pink outer petals and
deeper-colored hearts. There were pink mallows that seemed as if they
must have been cut from the bushes bordering Santa Monica road. There
were hollyhocks of white and gold, and simply perfect tulips. Linda
never before had seen such a treasure candy box. She cried out in
delight, and hurried to show Katy. In her pleasure over the real flowers
and the candy flowers Linda forgot her dress, but when she saw Peter
Morrison standing tall and straight, in dinner dress, she stopped and
looked the surprise and pleasure she felt. She had grown accustomed
to Peter in khaki pottering around his building. This Peter she never
before had seen. He represented something of culture, something of
pride, a conformity to a nice custom and something more. Linda was not a
psychoanalyst.

She could not see a wonderful aura of exquisite color enveloping Peter.
But when Peter saw the girl approaching him, transformed into a woman
whose shining coronet was jewelled with his living red rose, when he saw
the beauty of her lithe slenderness clothed in a soft, flaming color,
something emanated from his inner consciousness that Linda did see,
and for an instant it disturbed her as she went forward holding out her
hands.

"Peter," she said gaily, "do you know that this is my Day of Jubilee? I
am a woman today by law, Peter. Hereafter I am to experience at least
a moderate degree of financial freedom, and that I shall enjoy. But the
greatest thing in life is friends."

Peter took both the hands extended to him and looked smilingly into her
eyes.

"You take my breath," he said. "I knew, the first glimpse I ever had
of you scrambling from the canyon floor, that this transformation COULD
take place. My good fortune is beyond words that I have been first to
see it. Permit me, fair lady."

Peter bent and kissed both her hands. He hesitated a second, then he
turned the right hand and left one more kiss in its palm.

"To have and to hold!" he said whimsically.

"Thank