lead ten to Victor Dorn's one. Why, any day
Dorn's followers may turn on him--and you know it."

"And what of that?" cried Selma. "He's not working to be their leader,
but to do what he thinks is right, regardless of consequences. Why is
he a happy man, as happiness goes? Why has he gone on his way steadily
all these years, never minding setbacks and failures and defeats and
dangers? I needn't tell you why."

"No," said Hull, powerfully moved by her earnestness. "I understand."

"The finest sentence that ever fell from human lips," Selma went on,
"was 'Father, forgive them; they know not what they do.' Forgive
them--forgive us all--for when we go astray it is because we are in the
dark. And I want you to come with us, Mr. Hull, and help to make it a
little less dark. At least, you will then be looking toward the
light--and every one turned in that direction counts."

After a long pause, Hull said:

"Miss Gordon, may I ask you a very personal question?"

"Yes," said she.

"Are you in love with Victor Dorn?"

Selma laughed merrily. "Jane Hastings had that same curiosity," said
she. "I'll answer you as I answered her--though she didn't ask me
quite so directly. No, I am not in love with him. We are too busy to
bother about those things. We have too much to do to think about
ourselves."

"Then--there is no reason why I should not ask you to be my wife--why I
should not hope--and try?"

She looked at him with a peculiar smile. "Yes, there is a very good
reason. I do not love you, and I shall not love you. I shall not have
time for that sort of thing."

"Don't you believe in love?"

"I don't believe in much else," said she. "But--not the kind of love
you offer me."

"How do you know?" cried he. "I have not told you yet how I feel
toward you. I have not----"

"Oh, yes, you have," interrupted she. "This is the second--no, the
third time you have seen me. So, the love you offer me can only be of
a kind it is not in the least flattering to a woman to inspire. You
needn't apologize," she went on, laughingly. "I've no doubt you mean
well. You simply don't understand me--my sort of woman."

"It's you that don't understand, Selma," cried he. "You don't realize
how wonderful you are--how much you reveal of yourself at once. I was
all but engaged to another woman when I saw you. I've been fighting
against my love for you--fighting against the truth that suddenly came
to me that you were t