retroactive soul-mates."

"I've loved him four years," said Helen stiffly.

"You've loved him four years in two weeks," said Barnes in the tone of
one trying to do a sum. "I give up. I can't do it."

Helen faced the heretic Barnes and announced impressively:

"Ever since the time he so bravely risked his own life to save that
girl. It was splendid, noble!"

Travers Gladwin decided it was time to call a halt on the borrowing
proclivities of the unknown double. It was bad enough for some one to
appropriate his name, but also to take unto his bogus self the glory
of the real one's heroism was too much.

"You mean that time at Narragansett?" he opened.

"Yes," said Helen. "Four years ago when he dashed into the roaring
surf"----

"Yes, and fished out a cross-eyed colored lady," said Gladwin hotly.

"That's just it," returned Helen with flashing eyes and heaving bosom.
"If she had been beautiful or some one dear to him, it wouldn't have
been half so noble. Oh, it was fine of him!"

"And he told you about that?" asked Gladwin, numbed for the moment.

"No, he didn't. He's much too modest. I knew of it the day it
happened, and he has been my ideal ever since. But would you believe
it, when I first spoke to him about it he could hardly remember it.
Imagine doing such a brave thing, and then forgetting all about it."

"Oh, I've forgotten lots of such things," said the unrecognized hero.

Helen's lips curled with scorn.

"Yes," the young man was stung to go on, "and what Travers Gladwin did
wasn't brave at all."

"What!" Helen gasped.

"She was so fat she couldn't sink," derided Gladwin, "so I swam out to
her."

"Yes," bubbled over the young man, overjoyed at the opportunity of
discounting his own heroism, "I swam out to her. I told her to lie on
her back and float. Well, she did, and I"----

"You!"

"Why, yes--er--you see, I was with him. He pushed her to shore.
Simplest thing in the world."

Helen rose angrily. There was both indignation and reproach in her
voice.

"It's shameful to try and belittle his courage, and you say you're his
dearest friend." She paused for a moment, then went closer to the
young man and said in a different tone:

"Oh, I understand you now--you're saying that to try and make me
change my mind. But I shan't--not for anybody."

Helen crossed the room to her cousin and gave Sadie the benefit of the
look of defiance with which she had confronted Travers Gladwin.

"Oh, please,