oons."

"Well, I wanted to ask you, Barbara: how do I sign myself to these
people I've never seen: 'Yours truly'?"

"Oh, heavens, no! 'Sincerely yours' or 'Yours cordially' and make 'em
short. The shorter they are the smarter they are, remember that."

"And if I sign J. P. Studdiford, or Julia P. Studdiford--then oughtn't
'Mrs. J. N.' go in one corner?"

"Oh, _no_, you poor webfoot! No. Just write a good splashy 'Julia Page
Studdiford' all over the page; they'll know who you are fast enough!"

"Thanks," said Julia shyly.

"You're welcome," Barbara said, smiling. "Are you ready to go down?"

After dinner the young Tolands, augmented by several young men, and by
Julia and the doctor, all wandered out into the thick darkness,
rejoicing in the return of summer. Sausalito's lanes were sweet with
roses, lights shone out across the deep fresh green of gardens, and
lights moved on the gently moving waters of the bay. A ferryboat, a mass
of checkered brightness, plowed its way from Alcatraz--far off the city
lay like a many-stranded chain of glittering gems upon the water. Julia
and Doctor Studdiford let the others go on without them, and sat
together in the dim curve of the O'Connell seat, and the heartbreaking
beauty of the night wrapped them both in a happiness so deep as to touch
the borderland of pain.

"Was there ever such a night?" said little Julia. "Shall we ever be so
happy again?"

Jim could not see her clearly, but he saw her bright, soft eyes in the
gloom, the shimmer of her loosened hair, the little white-clad figure in
the seat's wide curve, and the crossed slim ankles. He put his arm about
her, and she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Don't say that, darling!" said Jim. "This is great, of course. But it's
nothing to all the happy months and years that we'll belong to each
other. Nothing but death will ever come between you and me, Julie!"

"And I shouldn't be afraid of death," murmured Julia, staring up at the
stars. "Strange--strange--strange that we all must go that way some
day!" she mused.

"Well, please God, we'll do some living first," Jim said, with healthy
anticipation. "We'll go to New York, and gad about, and go to Washington
and Boston, and pick up things here and there for the house, do you see?
Then we'll come back here and go to a hotel, and find a house and fix it
up!"

"That'll be fun," said Julia.

"You bet your life it'll be fun! And then, my dear, we'll give some
corking din