"And really I wasn't altogether sure; and then, it occurred to me that
nothing on the face of the earth would ever persuade you to marry Maude.
And I saw my card castle go smashing down, and then I saw that I really am
a philosopher, after all, for--for I didn't mind a bit!"
Jack threw his head back and roared.
"Oh," he said after a minute, "you are so refreshing. You ruffle me up
just to give me the joy of smoothing me down, don't you?"
"I do what I can to amuse you," she said, demurely. "You are my father's
guest and my brother's friend, and so I ought to--oughtn't I?"
"Yes," he said, "I have a two-fold claim on you if you look at it that way
and some day I mean to go to work and unfold still another."
They had come to a delightful little nook where the trees sighed gently,
"Sit down," and there seemed to be no adequate reason for refusing the
invitation.
"Let's rest, I know you're tired," the young man said gently, and the next
minute found his companion down upon the soft grass, her back against a
twisted tree-root and her hands about her knees.
He threw himself down beside her and the hush and the song of mid-summer
were all about them, filling the air, and their ears, and their hearts all
at once.
Presently he took her hand up out of the grass where its fingers had
wandered to hide themselves, and kissed it. She looked at him reprovingly
when it was too late, and shook her head.
"Such a little one!" he said.
"I call it a pretty big one," she answered.
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