eyes from Carrie. She seemed the
one ray of sunshine in all his trouble. Oh, if she would only love him
wholly--only throw her arms around him in the blissful spirit in which
he had seen her in the little park in Chicago--how happy he would be!
It would repay him; it would show him that he had not lost all. He would
not care.

"Carrie," he said, getting up once and coming over to her, "are you
going to stay with me from now on?"

She looked at him quizzically, but melted with sympathy as the value of
the look upon his face forced itself upon her. It was love now, keen
and strong--love enhanced by difficulty and worry. She could not help
smiling.

"Let me be everything to you from now on," he said. "Don't make me worry
any more. I'll be true to you. We'll go to New York and get a nice flat.
I'll go into business again, and we'll be happy. Won't you be mine?"

Carrie listened quite solemnly. There was no great passion in her, but
the drift of things and this man's proximity created a semblance of
affection. She felt rather sorry for him--a sorrow born of what had only
recently been a great admiration. True love she had never felt for him.
She would have known as much if she could have analysed her feelings,
but this thing which she now felt aroused by his great feeling broke
down the barriers between them.

"You'll stay with me, won't you?" he asked.

"Yes," she said, nodding her head.

He gathered her to himself, imprinting kisses upon her lips and cheeks.

"You must marry me, though," she said. "I'll get a license to-day," he
answered.

"How?" she asked.

"Under a new name," he answered. "I'll take a new name and live a new
life. From now on I'm Murdock."

"Oh, don't take that name," said Carrie.

"Why not?" he said.

"I don't like it."

"Well, what shall I take?" he asked.

"Oh, anything, only don't take that."

He thought a while, still keeping his arms about her, and then said:

"How would Wheeler do?"

"That's all right," said Carrie.

"Well, then, Wheeler," he said. "I'll get the license this afternoon."

They were married by a Baptist minister, the first divine they found
convenient.

At last the Chicago firm answered. It was by Mr. Moy's dictation. He
was astonished that Hurstwood had done this; very sorry that it had come
about as it had. If the money were returned, they would not trouble
to prosecute him, as they really bore him no ill-will. As for his
returning, or their restoring