.

She looked up with uneasy surprise.

"Of course--I meant it," she answered slowly.

He held her arms gripped close and said:

"Well--we'll see!"

His hands relaxed, and he turned away, rubbing his square chin
thoughtfully.

She watched him in growing amazement. What could be the mystery back of
this new twist of his elusive mind?

He laid his hand on the black bag again, smiled, and turned and faced
her with expanding good humor.

"Great scheme, this marryin', Kid! And you believe in it exactly as I
do, don't you?"

"How do you mean?" she faltered.

"That it binds and holds both our lives as only Almighty God can bind
and hold?"

"Yes--nothing else IS marriage."

"That's what I say, too!"

He placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Great scheme!" he repeated. "I get a pretty girl to work for me for
nothing for the balance of my life." He paused and lifted the slender
forefinger of his right hand. "And you pledged your pious soul--I
memorized the words, every one of them: `I, Mary, take thee, James,
to my wedded husband--TO HAVE AND TO HOLD from this day forward, FOR
BETTER, FOR WORSE, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health,
to love, cherish AND OBEY, TIL DEATH DO US PART, ACCORDING TO GOD'S HOLY
ORDINANCE; AND THEREUNTO I GIVE THEE MY TROTH----'"

He paused, lifted his head and smiled grimly: "That's some promise,
believe me, Kiddo! `AND OBEY'--you meant it all, didn't you?"

She would have hedged lightly over that ugly old word which still
survived in the ceremony Craddock had used, but for the sinister
suggestion in his voice back of the playful banter. He had asked it half
in jest, half in earnest. She had caught by the subtle sixth sense the
tragic idea in that one word that he was going to hold her to it. The
thought was too absurd!

"OBEY--you meant it, didn't you?" he repeated grimly.

A smile played about the corners of her mouth as she answered dreamily:

"Yes--I--I--PROMISED!"

"That's why I set my head on you from the first--you're good and
sweet--you're the real thing."

Again she caught the sinister suggestion in his tone and threw him a
startled look.

"What has come over you today, Jim?" she asked.

He hesitated and answered carelessly.

"Oh, nothing, Kiddo--just been thinking a little about business. Got
to go to work, you know." He returned to the table and touched the bag
lightly.

"Watch out now for this bag while I put up the car--and don't forget
that c