glad.

He opened his door so quietly that Mary Josephine did not see him at
first. Her back was toward him as she bent over the dining-table. Her
slim little figure was dressed in some soft stuff all crinkly from
packing. Her hair, brown and soft, was piled up in shining coils on the
top of her head. For the life of him Keith couldn't keep his eyes from
traveling from the top of that glowing head to the little high-heeled
feet on the floor. They were adorable, slim little, aristocratic feet
with dainty ankles! He stood looking at her until she turned and caught
him.

There was a change since last night. She was older. He could see it
now, the utter impropriety of his cuddling her up like a baby in the
big chair--the impossibility, almost.

Mary Josephine settled his doubt. With a happy little cry she ran to
him, and Keith found her arms about him again and her lovely mouth held
up to be kissed. He hesitated for perhaps the tenth part of a second,
if hesitation could be counted in that space. Then his arms closed
about her, and he kissed her. He felt the snuggle of her face against
his breast again, the crush and sweetness of her hair against his lips
and cheek. He kissed her again uninvited. Before he could stop the
habit, he had kissed her a third time.

Then her hands were at his face, and he saw again that look in her
eyes, a deep and anxious questioning behind the shimmer of love in
them, something mute and understanding and wonderfully sympathetic, a
mothering soul looking at him and praying as it looked. If his life had
paid the forfeit the next instant, he could not have helped kissing her
a fourth time.

If Mary Josephine had gone to bed with a doubt of his brotherly
interest last night, the doubt was removed now. Her cheeks flushed. Her
eyes shone. She was palpitantly, excitedly happy. "It's YOU, Derry,"
she cried. "Oh, it's you as you used to be!"

She seized his hand and drew him toward the table. Wallie thrust in his
head from the kitchenette, grinning, and Mary Josephine flashed him
back a meaning smile. Keith saw in an instant that Wallie had turned
from his heathen gods to the worship of something infinitely more
beautiful. He no longer looked to Keith for instructions.

Mary Josephine sat down opposite Keith at the table. She was telling
him, with that warm laughter and happiness in her eyes, how the sun had
wakened her, and how she had helped Wallie get breakfast. For the first
time Keith was