her face. Then he held her off and looked into her eyes for a moment.
Then he gave another whoop, kissed her, released her and did a wild
dance about the room. She stood beside the big chair, equally as
excited, laughing unrestrainedly at his hilarity. At last he brought up
at the other side of the chair.

"But where could--I mean, shall we elope to?" she finally asked.

"Anywhere. Bombay--Australia? Let's make it a stunner, dear--let's do it
up right."

"And be married away over there? Oh, Hugh!"

"Certainly. They can marry us over there as well as anywhere. Here,
I'll write the names of ten places and we'll draw one from my hat." He
sat down before a table and feverishly wrote upon the backs of a number
of his calling cards the names of as many cities, his companion looking
over his shoulder eagerly. Without ado he tossed the cards into a
jardiniere in lieu of a hat. "Draw!" he said tragically.

"Wait a minute, Hugh. What have we to elope from? There isn't the
faintest objection in the world to our marriage."

"There you go--backing out!"

"No; I'm just as willing as you, but doesn't it seem rather absurd?" Her
hand hung over the jardiniere irresolutely.

"It will be the greatest wedding tour that mortals ever took. Draw!"

"Well, then, there's the card. Mercy!" she cried, dropping a card on the
table. "That's a long distance, Hugh."

He picked up the card and his face paled a little as he read:

"Manila!"

They sat down in the chair, she on the arm as before. After a moment he
glanced at her perplexed face, and asked:

"Are you afraid to go, Grace?"

"It isn't that, Hugh. I was just wondering if we could reach Manila by
the twenty-third of May. It is unlucky to change the wedding day after
it has been once selected," she said softly.

"Grace Vernon, you are an angel. I was afraid you would show the white
feather. It's a go, then--Manila! We can start next week and get there
in good time."

"Next week? Impossible!" she cried in alarm.

"Nonsense! You can get ready for a trip to New York, making your
preparations for a sea voyage secretly. I'll attend to all the details.
It will be easy. No one will ever dream of what we are doing until we
cable the news home to your aunt."

"Oh, I must tell Aunt Elizabeth!"

"Not much! That's no way to elope. We must do it correctly or not at
all. Nobody is to know until we are really married. Can you get ready
in a week?"

"If I really must."

"Can't tak