"I should _hope_ not," said the young man, drawing himself up as much
as was consistent with life in a canoe. "I would _never_ let my wife
support me."

"Well, perhaps you might be able to make enough to _support
yourself_," twinkled Leslie with mischief in a dimple near her mouth.

"Leslie, now you're making fun! I mean this!"

"Well, what do you want me to do about it, give away my money?"

"Of course not. I was a cad and all that, but somehow it seemed as
though I hadn't any business to be coming around you when you were so
young and with plenty of chances of men worth more than I----"

"More what? More money?"

"Leslie, this is a serious matter with me----"

"Well, it is with me, too," said Leslie, suddenly grave. "You
certainly have made me most unhappy for about three weeks. But I'm
beginning to think you don't love me after all. What is money between
people who love each other? Only something that they can have a good
time spending for others, isn't it? And suppose _I_ should say I
wouldn't let _you support me_? I guess after all if you think so much
of money you don't really care!"

"Leslie!" Their eyes met and his suddenly fell before her steady,
beautiful gaze:

"Well, then, Howard Letchworth, if you are so awfully proud that you
have to be the richest, I'll throw away or give away all my money and
be a pauper, _so there_! Then will you be satisfied? What's money
without the one you love, anyway?"

"I see, Leslie! I was a fool. You darling, wonderful princess. No,
keep your money and I'll try to make some more and we'll have a
wonderful time helping others with it. I suppose I knew I was a fool
all the time, only I wanted to be told so, because you see that fellow
told me you and he had been set apart for each other by your
parents----!"

A sudden lurch of the canoe roused him to look at Leslie's face:

"Oh, that little--liar! Yes, he is! He is the meanest, conceitedest,
most disagreeable little snob----!"

"There, there! We'll spare him----" laughed Howard. "I see I was wrong
again, only, Leslie, little princess, there's one thing you must own
is true, you're very young yet and you may change----"

"Now, _I like that_!" cried Leslie. "You don't even think I have the
stability to be true to you. Well, if I'm as weak-looking as that you
better go and find someone else----"

But he stopped her words with his face against her lips, and his arms
about her, and at last she nestled against his sh