furnished by
the company for single men, and houses, nice, comfortable houses, for
the married ones. In three months, or in six at the most, I shall have
added enough to what I have saved already to make it possible for us to
be married. And we WILL be married. Just think of you and me having one
of those pretty little houses for our own, and being there together, in
our home! Just think of it! Won't it be wonderful!"

He looked down into her face and smiled and she, looking up into his,
smiled, too. But she shook her head, nevertheless.

"Yes, dear," she said, "it would be wonderful. But it's too wonderful to
be true, I'm afraid."

"Why? Nonsense! Of course it can be true. And it's going to be, too, in
six months, perhaps sooner."

But still she shook her head.

"It can't be, Nelson," she said, sadly. "Don't you see it can't? There
is father."

"Your father will be all right. That's one of the good things about this
new job of mine. You will be only a little way from him. He'll be here
at the light, with Zach to look after him, and you can come over every
few days to make sure things are going as they should. Why--"

She touched his lips with her fingers.

"Don't, dear," she begged. "You know you're only talking just because
it is nice to make-believe. I like to hear you, too; but what is the use
when it's ONLY make-believe? You know what father's health really
is; you know how nervous he is. Doctor Powers told me he must not be
overexcited or--or dreadful things might happen. You saw him at that
horrid seance thing."

He shrugged. "If I didn't see I heard," he admitted.

"Yes, you heard. And you know how near--Now suppose I should tell him
that you and I intended getting married and going to Trumet to live;
what do you think would happen?"

"But, look here, Lulie: You've got to tell him some time, because we ARE
going to be married, you know."

"Are we? Yes, I--I hope we are. But, oh, Nelson, sometimes I get almost
discouraged. I CAN'T leave him in that way, you know that. And, in a
sense, I don't want to leave him, because he is my father and I love
him."

"But, confound it, you love me, too, don't you?"

"You know I do. But--but--oh, dear! What can I do?"

He did not answer at once. After a moment he said, rebelliously: "You
have got your own life to live. Your father has lived the biggest part
of his. He hasn't any right to prevent your being happy. It would be
different if he had any excuse fo