ciousness was his fumbling with the buttons at
the waist of that blue muslin relict of a sentiment. I had fastened but
one, and the lace had got caught on his sleeve buttons.

"Please don't button me into his possession," I laughed under his chin.
"I'm still scared to death of him, and you haven't hid me yet!"

"Molly," he asked, this time with a heaven-laugh, "where could you be
more effectually hid from Al Bennett than in my arms?"

I spent ten minutes telling Billy what a hippopotamus really looks like
as I put him to bed, but later, much as I should have liked to, I
couldn't consume that horrible dinner, that I had helped prepare at the
Johnsons, in the shelter of John's arms, and I had to face Alfred. Ruth
Chester was there, and she faced him too.

A man that can't be happy with a woman who is willing to "fulfil his
destiny" doesn't deserve to be.

Then we came over here, and John had the most beautiful time persuading
Aunt Adeline how a good man like Mr. Carter would want his young widow
to be taken care of by being married to a safe friend of his instead of
being flighty and having folks wondering whom she would marry.

"You know yourself how hard a time a beautiful young widow has, Mrs.
Henderson," he said in the tone of voice that always makes his patients
glad to take his worst doses. He got his blessing and me--with a
warning.

A lovely night wind is blowing across my garden and bringing me
congratulations from all my flower family. Flowers are a part of love
and the wooing of it, and they understand. I am waiting for the light to
go out behind the tall trees over which the moon is stealthily sinking.
He promised me to put it out right away, and I'm watching the glow that
marks the place where my own two men creatures are going to rest, with
my heart in full song.

He needs rest, he is so very tired and worn. He confessed it as I stood
on the step above him to-night, after he had taken his own good night
from me out on the porch. When he explained to me how his agony over me
for all these months had kept him walking the floor night after night,
not knowing that I was waiting for the light to go out, I gave myself a
sweetness that I am going to say a prayer for the last thing before I
sleep. I took his head in my arms and pressed his cheek down against
Billy's sleep-place on my breast over my heart and put my lips to that
drake-tail kiss-spot that has tempted me for I won't say how long. Then
I fled--