gh I kept you from fuller happiness.'

'You can't do that. You are the only person who can give me fuller
happiness.'

'And I give you happiness, like this--even like this?--really?'

'Of course; but,' he smiled a little forcedly, 'I can't pretend it's
anything like what I want. I want a great deal.'

Althea's eyes fell before the intent and gentle gaze.

'Dear Franklin--I wish----'

'You wish you could? I wonder--I wonder, Althea, if you feel a little
nearer to it just now. I seem to feel, myself, that you are.'

Was she? How she wished she were. Yet the wish was mixed with fear. She
said, faltering, 'Don't ask me now. I'm so glad to see you--so glad; but
that's not the same thing, is it?'

'It may be on the way to it.'

'May it?' she sighed tremblingly.

There was a silence; and then, taking her hand again, he again kissed
it, and holding it for an insistent moment said, 'Althea, won't you try
being engaged to me?'

She said nothing, turning away her face.

'You might make a habit of loving me, you know,' he went on half
whimsically. 'No one would know anything about it. It would be our
secret, our little experiment. If only you'd try it. Dearest, I do love
you so deeply.'

And then--how it was she did not know, but it was again Franklin's words
rather than Franklin that moved her, so that he must have seen the
yielding to his love, if not to him, in her face--she was in his arms,
and he was kissing her and saying, 'O Althea, won't you try?'

Althea's mind whirled. She needed to be kissed; that alone was evident;
for she did not draw away; but the tears came, of perplexity and pathos,
and she said, 'Franklin, dear Franklin, I'll try--I mean, I'll try to be
in love with you--I can't be engaged, not really engaged--but I will
try.'

'Darling--you are nearer it----'

'Yes--I don't know, Franklin--I mustn't bind myself. I can't marry you
unless I am in love with you--can I, Franklin?'

'Well, I don't know about that,' said Franklin, his voice a little
shaken. 'You can't expect me to give you an impartial answer to that
now--can you, dear? I feel as if I wanted you to marry me on the chance
you'd come to love me. And you do care for me enough for this, don't
you? That in itself is such an incredible gift.'

Yes, she evidently cared for him enough for this; and 'this' meant his
arm about her, her hand in his, his eyes of devotion upon her, centre of
his universe as she was. And 'this' had, after years