rves of his young manhood, and the irregular curves of his honest
face showed up to great advantage in white linen and a necktie--the
latter a very _chic_ article of its kind, consisting of blazoned
monstrosities of art, in bright vermillion on a background of
white--blood on snow.

"You must excuse my shirt-sleeves," said Rube, during the process of
disrobing. "I have no costume, so must do the best I can under the
circumstances."

He next made off with his suspenders, and began tugging at his shirt
in an alarming fashion.

"What are you going to do?" interrogated Mell, with a horrified
expression. "You are not going to--"

"No," said Rube, laughing, and coloring too. "I'm not going to take it
off. I'm only going to--" tugging all the while--"make myself into a
sailor boy, or flowing Turk, or a loose Brave, or a something or
other, to keep pace with those brocaded Templars, Hospitallers, and
Knights of the Golden Fleece over there. Come, now, can't you fix a
fellow up?"

"Fix a fellow up?" echoed Mell, helplessly. She never had 'fixed a
fellow up,' and she knew less about it than the sacred writings of
Zoroaster.

"Yes," said Rube. "Give me those ribbons you've got on--fix me up, put
your colors on me, don't you see?"

Mell did see at last, and greatly relieved, proceeded to do his
bidding. The sash from her own supple waist was deftly transferred to
his, and a knot of ribbons at her throat, after many trials, was
finally disposed of to their mutual liking.

"Now, don't I look as well as any of 'em?" inquired the improvised
knight, quite carried away with the fixing-up process.

"As well, and better," she assured him.

"Well, then," he held out his hand to her, "let us seal the compact.
If I win, Melville----"

"Yes," said Mell, hurriedly.

"But if I fail."

"You _cannot_ fail, not if you love me!" She spoke impatiently, and
with flashing eyes. "A one-legged man could not, if he loved me! Love
finds a way, and love which cannot find a way is not love."

"Enough," said Rube, below his breath. "You will know whether I love
you or not."

Their hands were still clasped together in bond, until, perceiving
they had become a subject of curiosity to those about them, Rube at
length allowed Mell to withdraw hers, whereupon he turned off with a
light laugh; that proficuous little laugh, which amid life's
thick-coming anxieties, great and small, serves so many turns, and
turns so many ways, and covers up wit