to them, he reasoned. Not being able to get Dorian talking about the
case, the good people of Greenstreet soon exhausted their own knowledge
of the matter, so in a short time, the gossip resumed its every-day
trend.

Hardly a day passed without Dorian spending some time with Carlia. She
would not go to Sunday School or to Mutual, and it was some time before
he could convince her that it was a matter of wisdom as well as of right
that she should attend some of the public ward meetings. Frequently,
he took his book to the Duke home and read aloud to Carlia. This she
enjoyed very much. Sometimes the book was a first class novel, but
oftener it was a scientific text or a religions treatise. Carlia
listened attentively to his discussion of deep problems, and he was
agreeably surprised to learn that she could readily follow him in the
discussion of these themes; so that the long winter evenings spent
with her either at her home or at his own became a source of great
inspiration to the young man who had not lost sight or the mission
assigned to him by the beloved Uncle Zed. Dorian talked freely to Carlia
on how he might best fulfill the high destiny which seemed to lay before
him; and Carlia entered enthusiastically into his plans.

"Fine, fine," she would say. "Carry it out. You can do it."

"With your help, Carlia."

"I'll gladly help you all I can; but that is so little; what can I do?"

"Trust me, have faith in me; and when the time comes, marry me."

This was usually the end of the conversation for Carlia; she became
silent unless he changed the subject.

Dorian, naturally undemonstrative, was now more careful than ever in
his love making. The intimacy between them never quite returned to the
earlier state. Complete forgetfulness of what had been, was, of course,
impossible, either for Carlia or for Dorian; but he tried manfully not
to let the "specter" come too often between him and the girl he loved.
He frequently told her that he loved her, but it was done by simple word
or act. Dorian's greater knowledge gave him the advantage over her. He
was bound by this greater knowledge to be the stronger, the wiser, the
one who could keep all situations well in hand.

One evening, when Carlia was unusually sweet and tempting, he asked if
he might kiss her goodnight. She set her face as if it were hard to deny
him, but she finally said:

"No; you must not."

"Why not, Carlia?"

"We're not engaged yet."

"Carlia!"