e, dear?" she said timidly.

He remained gloomily silent for a moment. Then, he said:

"I--I was detained downtown a few minutes. I think that we can carry
out our plan all right."

"Has anything happened?" she inquired, trying to conceal her anxiety.

"No," he replied hesitatingly. "I've made all the arrangements. The men
will be here in a few minutes for your trunks." Feeling in his pocket,
he added: "I've got the railroad tickets and everything else, but----"

"But what, John?"

He went over to her. Instinctively she understood that she was about to
go through an ordeal. She seemed to feel that he had become acquainted
with something which might interfere with the realization of her
long-cherished dream. He looked at her long and searchingly. Evidently
he, too, was much wrought up, but when he spoke it was with a calm
dignity and force which showed the character of the man.

"Laura," he began.

"Yes?" she answered timidly.

"You know when I went downtown I said I was going to call on two or
three of my friends in Park Row."

"I know."

"I told them who I was going to marry."

"Well?"

"They said something about you and Brockton, and I found that they'd
said too much, but not quite enough."

"What did they say?"

"Just that--too much and not quite enough. There's a minister waiting
for us over on Madison Avenue. You see, then you'll be my wife. That's
pretty serious business, and all I want now from you is the truth."

She looked at him inquiringly, fearfully--not knowing what to say.

"Well?" she stammered.

"Just tell me what they said was just an echo of the past--that it came
from what had been going on before that wonderful day out there in
Colorado. Tell me that you've been on the level. I don't want their
word, Laura--I just want yours."

The girl shrank back a moment before his anxious face, then summoned up
all her courage, looked frankly into his eyes, and with as innocent an
expression as she was able to put on, said:

"Yes, John, I have been on the level."

He sprang forward with a joyful exclamation:

"I knew that, dear, I knew it!" he cried.

Taking her in his arms, he kissed her hotly. She clung to him in
pitiful helplessness. His manner had suddenly changed to one of almost
boyish happiness.

"Well," he went on joyfully, "now everything's all ready, let's get on
the job. We haven't a great deal of time. Get your duds on."

"When do we go?"

"Right away. The idea is to