instantly dismissed the
query, "How far could I go? What does she expect?" which, outside of
pure-minded romances, really does come to men. It was a wonderful
relief to dismiss the query; a simplification to live in the joy each
moment gave of itself. The hour was like a poem. Yet he was no
extraordinary person; he had, in the lonely hours of a dead room, been
tortured with the unmoral longings which, good or bad, men do feel.

As they took their seats in the car, and Ruth beat on her knees with
her fur-lined gloves, he laughed back, altogether happy, not
pretending, as he had pretended with Eve L'Ewysse.

Happy. But hungry!

Mrs. Needham should have been graciously absent by the time they
reached her house--a suburban residence with a large porch. But, as
they approached, Ruth cried:

"'Shhhh! There seems to be somebody moving around in the living room.
I don't believe Laura 's gone yet. That would spoil it. Come on. Let's
peep. Let's be Indian scouts!"

Cautioning each other with warning pats, they tiptoed guiltily to the
side of the house and peered in at the dining-room window, where the
shade was raised a couple of inches above the sill. A noise at the
back of the house made them start and flatten against the wall.

"Big chief," whispered Carl, "the redskins are upon us! But old Brown
Barrel shall make many an one bite the dust!"

"Hush, silly.... Oh, it's just the maid. See, she's looking at the
clock and wondering why we don't get here."

"But maybe Mrs. Needham 's in the other room."

"No. Because the maid's sniffing around--there, she's reading a
post-card some one left on the side-table. Oh yes, and she's chewing
gum. Laura has certainly departed. Probably Laura is chewing gum
herself at the present moment, now that she's out from under the eye
of her maid. Laura always was ree-fined, but I wouldn't trust her to
be proof against the feeling of wild dissipation you can get out of
chewing gum, if you live in Winklehurst."

They had rung the door-bell on the porch by now.

"I'm so glad," said Ruth, "that Laura is gone. She is very
literal-minded. She might not understand that we could be hastily
married and even lease a house, this way, and still be only tea
acquaintances."

The maid had not yet answered. Waiting in the still porch, winter
everywhere beyond it, Carl was all excited anticipation. He hastily
pressed her hand, and she lightly returned the pressure, laughing,
breathing quickly. They s