hem.

"Now I can laugh at spilt milk," Smiles' words echoed in Donald's brain,
and hurt. He knew that Philip was fairly well-to-do, and, of course,
Rose would want for nothing when she married him. This was the thought
which brought the poignant stab.

"It was not strange that I began ... that he became very dear to me, was
it, Donald?"

The man shook his head dumbly. He could not answer her in words.

"Perhaps I should not say it; but some time ago I began to guess that
... that he loved me. Not that he said a word, Donald, that is, not
until to-day,--and then he didn't say it," she laughed a little. "He
_wrote_ it and he ... he asked me to marry him. He said, besides, that
he had spoken to you, first, and that you had given your brotherly
consent. It was a very sweet letter, Don; the first real love letter
that I ever received, think of that!"

Only by clinching his teeth and gripping the arms of the chair could the
man repress a groan.

"It was after he had ... had saved my life that ..." She stopped, and
broke into her thought with the words, "Oh, Donald, I can never, never
forget to-night, and the awful feeling that I had when little Don went
into the water. You see, you were far away, and I didn't know about that
brave boy on the beach, so I thought that I had got to save him if I
could, and I didn't know _how_ I could. And then those black, cold waves
going over my head! I was quite sure that I was going to die, and I
almost hoped so for ... for I couldn't find Donny."

She leaned her head against his knee and cried a little; but, when he
tried to speak, and tell her what had been in his heart, she interrupted
hastily with, "Oh, please, let's not speak of it, ever again. I know how
you felt, too.

"It was after that that Philip asked me for my answer. I knew what it
was going to be, but ..."

Donald could not stand it any longer. "I know. You love him, you are
going to marry him, Smiles. It's all right, he is a splendid fellow,
dear," he repeated mechanically.

"Yes, he is, and I do love him," she replied quietly; but she could not
contain her secret any longer and added, "But a girl can't marry her
_brother_, Donald."

"Her brother? Please, Rose, don't joke."

"It's true!"

"You! Philip's sister? It's impossible, unbelievable!" Yet a surge of
mad, uncontrollable joy swept over him, and his heart burst into song.

"Unbelievable, yes. But it's _so_, Donald, although I can hardly credit
it yet, m