became commonplace. One could not talk over with her the
matter-of-fact details of marrying and of housekeeping and of
salaries. And those things that yesterday had filled him with
inspiration, that had appeared to him the most wonderful things in
life, that had been associated with the stars, seemed tawdry. She had
been to London to see the Queen, and the flavor of that adventure
was still about her.

"Don, dear, what's the matter?"

He was so long silent that she was worried. He passed his hand over
his forehead.

"I don't know," he answered honestly. "There were a lot of things I
wanted to say to you, and now I can't think of them."

"Nice things?"

"Perhaps it's the house," he replied vaguely. "I wish we could get out
of here for a little while. After lunch I want you to come to walk
with me. Will you?"

"Where, Don?"

He smiled.

"In the park."

"What an odd fancy!" she answered.

"Here I get you all mixed up with your father and mother and the
Queen," he ran on. "I want to talk to you alone."

He sounded more natural to her when he talked like that.

"All right, Don, though there are a hundred things I ought to do this
afternoon. And I must decide about going to the mountains with Dolly.
What _were_ those other plans you cabled me about?"

"Those are what I want to talk over with you," he answered.

"What are they? I'm dying to know."

"I'll tell you in the park. Now I'll go, so that you'll have time to
do some of the hundred things you want to do."

He turned.

"Don't you want to--to--"

She held out her arms to him. He kissed her lips. Then she seemed to
come back to him as she had been before she sailed. He could have said
all he wished to say then. But her mother was calling her.

"I'll be here at two. And, this once--you must cancel every other
engagement."

"Yes, Don."

She came to the door with him, and stood there until he turned the
corner. He did not know where to go, but unconsciously his steps took
him downtown. He stopped at a florist's and ordered a dozen roses to
be sent back to the house. He stopped to order a box of her favorite
bonbons. Then he kept on downtown toward the office of Carter, Rand &
Seagraves. But this was the first day of his vacation, and so he had
no object in going there. He must find a place to lunch. He came to a
dairy lunch, and then he knew exactly what it was he needed. He needed
Sally Winthrop to talk over his complication with him.

As he