ing doggedly: "But neither can men help going crazy
about you."

She looked at him sitting there at once penitent and impenitent; and
her mind went back to the thoughts that had engaged it before he came
into view. Marriage--to marry one of these men, with their coarse
physical ideas of women, with their pitiful weakness before an emotion
that seemed to her to have no charm whatever. And these were the
creatures who ruled the world and compelled women to be their
playthings and mere appendages! Well--no doubt it was the women's own
fault, for were they not a poor, spiritless lot, trembling with fright
lest they should not find a man to lean on and then, having found the
man, settling down into fat and stupid vacuity or playing the cat at
the silly game of social position? But not Jane Hastings! Her bosom
heaved and her eyes blazed scorn as she looked at this person who had
dared think the touch of his coarse hands would be welcome. Welcome!

"And I have been thinking what a delightful friendship ours was," said
she, disgustedly. "And all the time, your talk about your
ambition--the speeches you were going to make--the offices you were
going to hold--the good you were going to do in purifying politics--it
was all a blind!"

"All a blind," admitted he. "From the first night that you came to our
house to dinner--Jen, I'll never forget that dress you wore--or the way
you looked in it."

Miss Jane had thought extremely well of that toilet herself. She had
heard how impervious this David Hull, the best catch in the town, was
to feminine charm; and she had gone prepared to give battle. But she
said dejectedly, "You don't know what a shock you've given me."

"Yes, I do," cried he. "I'm ashamed of myself. But--I love you, Jen!
Can't you learn to love me?"

"I hadn't even thought of you in that way," said she. "I haven't
bothered my head about marriage. Of course, most girls have to think
about it, because they must get some one to support them----"

"I wish to God you were one of that sort," interrupted he. "Then I
could have some hope."

"Hope of what," said she disdainfully. "You don't mean that you'd
marry a girl who was marrying you because she had to have food,
clothing and shelter?"

"I'd marry the woman I loved. Then--I'd MAKE her love me. She simply
couldn't help it."

Jane Hastings shuddered. "Thank heaven, I don't have to marry!" Her
eyes flashed. "But I wouldn't, even if I were poor.