rked
attentions as his could have but one meaning; and for several days she
had had a premonition that before the week was out he would seek to
know his fate; and Graciella meant to be kind.

Anticipating this event, she had politely but pointedly discouraged
Ben Dudley's attentions, until Ben's pride, of which he had plenty in
reserve, had awaked to activity. At their last meeting he had demanded
a definite answer to his oft-repeated question.

"Graciella," he had said, "are you going to marry me? Yes or no. I'll
not be played with any longer. You must marry me for myself, or not at
all. Yes or no."

"Then no, Mr. Dudley," she had replied with spirit, and without a
moment's hesitation, "I will not marry you. I will never marry you,
not if I should die an old maid."

She was sorry they had not parted friends, but she was not to blame.
After her marriage, she would avoid the embarrassment of meeting him,
by making the colonel take her away. Sometime she might, through her
husband, be of service to Ben, and thus make up, in part at least, for
his disappointment.

As she ran up through the garden and stepped upon the porch--her
slippers were thin and made no sound--she heard Colonel French's voice
in the darkened parlour. Some unusual intonation struck her, and she
moved lightly and almost mechanically forward, in the shadow, toward a
point where she could see through the window and remain screened from
observation. So intense was her interest in what she heard, that she
stood with her hand on her heart, not even conscious that she was
doing a shameful thing.

* * * * *

Her aunt was seated and Colonel French was standing near her. An open
Bible lay upon the table. The colonel had taken it up and was reading:

"'Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies.
The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her. She will do him
good and not evil all the days of her life. Strength and honour are
her clothing, and she shall rejoice in time to come.'

"Laura," he said, "the proverb maker was a prophet as well. In these
words, written four thousand years ago, he has described you, line for
line."

The glow which warmed her cheek, still smooth, the light which came
into her clear eyes, the joy that filled her heart at these kind
words, put the years to flight, and for the moment Laura was young
again.

"You have been good to Phil," the colonel went on, "and I should l