never condescended to die in my own clothes,
let me assure you. The garret was overhauled, and had been since I was
a mere baby, for effective, sweeping garments. Let us hurry along over
fourteen and fifteen. I was sentimental and tried to be so young-ladyish
then. I used to read history with Albert, and always put on both my
gloves when I started out, and had great horror of girls who talked
loud in the street. I learned to make bread, and shirt bosoms, and such
things."

"Well, here you are in a long dress, Miss Sweet Sixteen. I remember you
home from boarding school on a vacation."

"What did you think of me?" asked Mae, "didn't we have a nice time that
summer? O, how silly I was!"

She hurried on, because the eyes had given her that peculiar look
again, which put her heart in a tremble. "I did have a beautiful time
at boarding school," she continued, "the darlingest principal and such
girls."

"Then I suppose you wrote a salutatory in forlorn rhyme to end off
with," laughed Norman, "and read it, all arrayed in white, in a
trembling voice, and everybody applauded, and even old Judge Seymour
admired it, while you were reading, with your pink cheeks and trembling
hands and quivering voice."

"Abominable! I didn't have the salutatory, and the girl who did, read a
superb one, as strong and masculine--"

"Then the Judge went to sleep, I'm sure," declared Norman.

"Well," said Mae, "you are leaving out two years," for Norman had leaned
back against the rock with his arms folded.

"By and by," said Norman, "we all come off to Europe, and some of us go
through the heart-ache, don't we?"

"Yes," replied Mae, softly.

"But come out ahead one day at Sorrento, perhaps?" asked Norman. To
which Mae made no direct reply.

"All the Mae Maddens have faded away," she said, looking down at the
sand again. "The tide is rising." And she walked forward to the ripples
of water, and then came slowly back and stood before Norman seriously.
He laughed.

"Why, Mr. Mann," said Mae, "I have been so very, very wicked."

The dreadful Mr. Mann only laughed again.

"You act as if it were all a joke. I never saw you so merry before."

"I have never been as happy before in my life."

"Why?" asked Mae, in a low voice.

"Because I have found you," he answered earnestly, and before she knew
it Mae was lifted in the strong, manly arms, her pink cheek close to
Norman's brown one, and his lips on hers. She leaned her face against
his