th sighs and tears for his
love, and refuse it, especially as she had every reason to expect it,
as he had asked her to be his wife. There was such a look of
unutterable love on her face it fairly bewildered him. The passion in
her voice startled him. What was he to do with this impetuous girl?
Rex looked as if he felt exceedingly uncomfortable.

He took her in his arms and kissed her mechanically; he knew that was
what she wanted and what she expected him to do.

"This must be my answer, dear," he said, holding her in a close
embrace.

In that brief instant she had torn the daisies from the lapel of his
coat with her white, jeweled fingers, tossed them to the earth, and
stamped her dainty feet upon them, wishing in the depths of her soul
she could crush out all remembrance from his heart of the young girl
for whose memory this handsome lover of hers wore these wild blossoms
on his breast.

As Rex looked down into her face he missed them, and quickly unclasped
his arms from around her with a little cry.

Stooping down he instantly recovered his crushed treasures and lifted
them reverently in his hand with a sigh.

"I can not say that I admire your taste, Rex," she said, with a short,
hard laugh, that somehow grated harshly on her lover's ears. "The
conservatories are blooming with rare and odorous flowers, yet you
choose these obnoxious plants; they are no more or less than a species
of weeds. Never wear them again, Rex--I despise them--throw them away,
and I will gather you a rare bouquet of white hyacinths and starry
jasmine and golden-rod bells."

The intense quiver in her voice pained him, and he saw her face wore
the pallor of death, and her eyes were gleaming like restless fire.

"I will not wear them certainly if you dislike them, Pluma," he said,
gravely, "but I do not care to replace them by any other; daisies are
the sweetest flowers on earth for me."

He did not fasten them on his coat again, but transferred them to his
breast-pocket. She bit her scarlet lips in impotent rage.

In the very moment of her supreme triumph and happiness he had
unclasped his arms from about her to pick up the daisies she had
crushed with her tiny heel--those daisies which reminded him of that
other love that still reigned in his heart a barrier between them.

CHAPTER XXIX.

"I do think it is a perfect shame those horrid Glenn girls are to be
invited up here to Rex's wedding," cried little Birdie Lyon, hobbli