s good
fortune continued.

"You like music, don't you?" asked Lydia.

"I guess so; I don't know much about it. Some crazy German post-grads at
Cornell used to make up a string quartette among themselves and play
some things I liked to hear--I guess it was pretty good music, too. They
were sharks on it, I know. Yes; now I think of it, I used to like it
fine. Maybe if I heard more--"

"Oh, the evenings together!" breathed Lydia. "Doesn't it take your
breath away to think of them? We'll read together--"

Paul saw the picture. "Yes; there're lots of books I've always meant to
get around to."

They were silent, musing.

Then Paul laughed aloud. Lydia started and looked at him inquiringly.

"Oh, I was just thinking how old married folks would laugh to hear us
infants planning our little castles in Spain. You know how they always
smile at such ideas, and say every couple starts out with them and after
about six months gets down to concentrating on keeping up the furnace
fire and making sure the biscuits are good."

Lydia laid her hand eagerly on his arm. "But don't let's, Paul! Please,
_please_ don't let us! Just because everybody else does is no reason why
we _have_ to. You're always saying folks can make things go their way if
they try hard enough--you're so clever and--"

"Oh, I'm a wonder, I know! You needn't tell me how smart I am."

"But, Paul, I'm in earnest--I mean it--"

The car had arrived by this time and he swung her up to the platform.
Like other moderns they were so accustomed to spend a large part of
their time in being transported from place to place that they were quite
at home in the noisy public conveyance, and after a pause to pay fares,
remove wraps, and nod to an acquaintance or two, they went on with their
conversation as though they were alone. People looked approvingly at the
comely, well-dressed young couple, so naively absorbed in each other,
and speculated as to whether they were just married or just about to
be.

After they were deposited at the corner nearest the Emery house, the
change to the silent street, up which they walked slowly, reluctant to
separate, took them back to their first mood of this loveliest of all
their hours together--the sweet intimacy of their first meeting in the
new house.

Lydia felt herself so wholly in sympathy with Paul that she was moved to
touch upon something that had never been mentioned between them. "Paul,
dear," she said, her certainty that he