tired
of being pitied."

She spoke almost passionately, being more excited by Mac's repressed
emotion than she had ever been by Charlie's most touching demonstration,
though she did not know why.

"But he loved you so!" began Mac, feeling as if a barrier had suddenly
gone down but not daring to venture in as yet.

"That was the hard part of it! That was why I tried to love him, why
I hoped he would stand fast for my sake, if not for his own, and why I
found it so sad sometimes not to be able to help despising him for his
want of courage. I don't know how others feel, but, to me, love isn't
all. I must look up, not down, trust and honor with my whole heart, and
find strength and integrity to lean on. I have had it so far, and I know
I could not live without it."

"Your ideal is a high one. Do you hope to find it, Rose?" Mac asked,
feeling, with the humility of a genuine love, that he could not give her
all she desired.

"Yes," she answered, with a face full of the beautiful confidence in
virtue, the instinctive desire for the best which so many of us lose too
soon, to find again after life's great lessons are well learned. "I
do hope to find it, because I try not to be unreasonable and expect
perfection. Smile if you will, but I won't give up my hero yet," and she
tried to speak lightly, hoping to lead him away from a more dangerous
topic.

"You'll have to look a long while, I'm afraid," and all the glow was
gone out of Mac's face, for he understood her wish and knew his answer
had been given.

"I have Uncle to help me, and I think my ideal grew out of my knowledge
of him. How can I fail to believe in goodness, when he shows me what it
can be and do?"

"It's no use for me to say any more, for I have very little to offer. I
did not mean to say a word till I earned a right to hope for something
in return. I cannot take it back, but I can wish you success, and I do,
because you deserve the very best." And Mac moved as if he was going
away without more words, accepting the inevitable as manfully as he
could.

"Thank you that makes me feel very ungrateful and unkind. I wish I could
answer you as you want me to for, indeed, dear Mac, I'm very fond of
you in my own way," and Rose looked up with such tender pity and frank
affection in her face, it was no wonder the poor fellow caught at a ray
of hope and, brightening suddenly, said in his own odd way: "Couldn't
you take me on trial while you are waiting for a true h