could, but
here was a man who neither sought nor expected any favors, saying that
he wanted some girl as lovely for his own. Truly it was a compliment to
be cherished.

After they had returned to the house and Crane had taken his departure,
Dorothy heard the purr of a rapidly approaching motorcycle, and her
heart leaped as she went to the door to welcome her lover.

"It seems like a month since I saw you last, sweetheart!" he exclaimed,
as he lifted her clear from the floor in a passionate embrace and kissed
in turn her lips, her eyes, the tip of her nose, the elusive dimple in
her cheek, and the adorable curve of her neck.

"It seems longer than that to me, Dicky. I was perfectly miserable until
Martin called this afternoon and explained what you have been doing."

"Yes, I met him on the way over. But honestly, Dottie, I simply couldn't
get away. I wanted to, the worst way, but everything went so slow...."

"Slow? When you have a whole laboratory installed in a week? What would
you call speed?"

"About two days. And then, there were a lot of little ideas that had to
be nailed down before they got away from me. This is a horribly big job,
Dottie, and when a fellow gets into it he can't quit. But you know that
I love you just the same, even though I do appear to neglect you," he
continued with fierce intensity. I love you with everything there is in
me. "I love you, mind, body and spirit; love you as a man should love
the one and only woman. For you are the only woman, there never was and
never will be another. I love you morally, physically, intellectually,
and every other way there is, for the perfect little darling that you
are."

She moved in his embrace and her arms tightened about his neck.

"You are the nearest thing to absolute perfection that ever came into
this imperfect world," he continued. "Just to think of a girl of your
sheer beauty, your ability, your charm, your all-round perfection, being
engaged to a thing like me, makes me dizzy--but I sure do love you,
little girl of mine. I will love you as long as we live, and afterward,
my soul will love your soul throughout eternity. You know that,
sweetheart girl."

"Oh, Dick!" she whispered, her soul shaken with response to his love. "I
never dreamed it possible for a woman to love as I love you. 'Whither
thou goest....'"

Her voice failed in the tempest of her emotion, and they clung together
in silence.

They were finally interrupted by Dorothy