raggling little
town below them and then toward the lonely mountains--"I did not
know that we would have to live here--but I know it now--" he checked
himself, and afterward she recalled the tone of those last words, but
then they had no especial significance.

"Am I wrong?" he repeated, and then he said hurriedly, for her face
was so piteous--"No, you needn't give yourself the pain of saying it in
words. I want you to know that I understand that there is nothing in the
world I blame you for--nothing--nothing. If there is any blame at all,
it rests on me alone." She broke toward him with a cry then.

"No--no, Jack," she said brokenly, and she caught his hand in both her
own and tried to raise it to her lips, but he held her back and she
put her face on his breast and sobbed heart-brokenly. He waited for the
paroxysm to pass, stroking her hair gently.

"You mustn't feel that way, little girl. You can't help it--I can't help
it--and these things happen all the time, everywhere. You don't have to
stay here. You can go away and study, and when I can, I'll come to see
you and cheer you up; and when you are a great singer, I'll send you
flowers and be so proud of you, and I'll say to myself, 'I helped do
that.' Dry your eyes, now. You must go back to the hotel. Your father
will be there by this time and you'll have to be starting home pretty
soon."

Like a child she obeyed him, but she was so weak and trembling that
he put his arm about her to help her down the hill. At the edge of the
woods she stopped and turned full toward him.

"You are so good," she said tremulously, "so GOOD. Why, you haven't even
asked me if there was another--"

Hale interrupted her, shaking his head.

"If there is, I don't want to know."

"But there isn't, there isn't!" she cried, "I don't know what is the
matter with me. I hate--" the tears started again, and again she was on
the point of breaking down, but Hale checked her.

"Now, now," he said soothingly, "you mustn't, now--that's all right. You
mustn't." Her anger at herself helped now.

"Why, I stood like a silly fool, tongue-tied, and I wanted to say so
much. I--"

"You don't need to," Hale said gently, "I understand it all. I
understand."

"I believe you do," she said with a sob, "better than I do."

"Well, it's all right, little girl. Come on."

They issued forth into the sunlight and Hale walked rapidly. The strain
was getting too much for him and he was anxious to be alone