ssion
from her, either of approval or disapproval. But Karin was silent.
"So I have asked him to come and live with me for a while. It would
at least be a change, and he could see more people than he meets
here."

Then Karin raised her eyes, but otherwise remained as motionless as
before.

"We have arranged to have him sent to my place to-morrow morning. I
know he'll come, because he thinks he can get his liquor. But, of
course, you must know, Karin, that that's out of the question. No,
indeed! It's no more to be had with me than with you. I shall
expect him to-morrow. He is to occupy the little room off the shop,
and I've promised him that I'll let his door stand open, so that he
may see all persons who come and go."

At Halvor's first words Karin wondered whether this was not
something he had made up, but gradually it dawned on her that he
was in earnest.

As a matter of fact, Karin had always imagined that Halvor had
courted her only because of her money and good connections. It had
never occurred to her that he might have loved her for herself
alone. She probably knew she was not the kind of girl that men care
for. Nor had she herself been in love, either with Halvor or Elof.
But now that Halvor had come to her in her trouble, and wanted to
help her, she was completely overwhelmed by the bigness of the man.
She marvelled that he could be so kind. She felt that surely he
must like her a little, since he had come like that, to help her.

Karin's heart began to beat violently and anxiously. She awoke to
something she had never before experienced, and wondered what it
meant. Then all at once she realized that Halvor's kindness had
thawed her frozen heart, and that love was beginning to flame up in
her. Halvor went on unfolding his plan, fearing all the while that
she might oppose him. "It's hard for Elof, too," he pleaded. "He
needs a change of scene, and he won't make as much trouble for me
as he has made for you. It will be quite different when he's got a
man to reckon with."

Karin hardly knew what she should do. She felt that she could not
make a movement or say a word without letting Halvor see that she
was in love with him; yet she knew she would have to give him some
kind of an answer.

Presently Halvor stopped talking and simply looked at her.

Then Karin rose, involuntarily went up to him, and patted him on
the hand. "God bless you, Halvor!" she said in broken tones. "God
bless you!"

Despite all