ove, as no man ever loved a girl
before, tries to go out with a man I think is wholly unworthy of her,
why shouldn't I object? I'll do it again. I want you and I'm to have
you, if I've got to fight for you. Even if I have to fight _you_ for
you."

Suddenly Mary buried her face in her hands. Her shoulders shook.

"Don't cry, Mary! I know I've--"

"I'm not crying, I--I'm laughing," she gurgled, dropping into a chair.
"Bupps, you do look so funny when you get excited."

I went over to her and made her make room for me on her chair, and then
I put my arms around her.

"Mary, lover-darling, why did you go out with Frank Woods that day?"

"Why, Bupps, I was hunting the same proof that you were. I felt all
along that Frank was guilty."

"I'm a brute!"

"You're a foolish boy," she said, twisting one of my few locks of hair.

She snuggled closer.

"Dearest of dearests, when are you going to stop teasing me?" I asked.

"Never, Buppkins!" she replied. "I just discovered that it brings out
your strong points."

"Do you remember what you said when I tried to ask you to marry me?" I
whispered. She shook her head.

"You told me to wait until Helen was well."

"You know, Bupps--the first thing I said to Helen this--this afternoon
was--"

"What?"

"'How--how well you're looking.'"

With her face so close to mine and those lovely lips smiling at me so
invitingly, there was only one thing to do, so I did it.

"The kid's got the stuff in him after all," said Hunkers.

"I'll say he has," agreed Captain Kidd.

THE END

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