rchie scrambled after him. Archie's last
impression of the inn was the blur of a waving handkerchief in Miss
Seebrook's window.

"We are a success, my boy! You bore yourself marvelously well," said the
Governor testing the gears. "As I remember we pass town hall on right
and cross railroad at bridge; then follow telephone poles. We don't need
the guide book; it's all in my head. Ah, that little touch of the rose
was worth all our perils; nothing in my experience was ever prettier
than that! A lovely girl; you might do worse if you were not already
plighted. If she had come down to say good-by it would have been much
less significant. But the rose, the red, red rose! It wouldn't be a bad
idea to stick it in an envelope and mail it to the girl you were telling
me about--the one who sent you forth to shatter kingdoms. I guess that
would jostle her a little, particularly if you were to enclose a line
telling her that it had fallen to your hand from a curtained lattice."

"I don't know her address," mumbled Archie, fastening the flower in his
buttonhole.

He still martyrized himself in his thoughts of Isabel. Her contumelious
treatment of him at Portsmouth rankled; but he had satisfied himself
that it was all his fault. In some way the curse of the Congdons lay
upon her as upon him. If he had not burst upon her so idiotically she
would probably have listened to his story with some interest if not
with admiration. He meant to be very loyal to Isabel in spite of the
disheartening contretemps at Portsmouth and he drew the rose from his
coat and cast it from him.

"So soon!" exclaimed the Governor. "I rejoice in your fidelity. Hope
rides a high horse and I'm confident that in due season we shall find
our two adorable ones. But it will do you no harm to indulge in a little
affair now and then on the way; merely practice at the approach shot,
you know, to keep your hand in. You are undoubtedly thinking of your
beloved with a new tenderness because you found Miss Seebrook kind.
Such, lad, is the way of love, true love, the love that never dies."

Love as a subject for discussion seemed wholly incongruous in view of
the fact that they were running off with Seebrook's money and pursuers
might already be hot on their trail. He suggested the dangers of their
situation, thinking that here at last was something that would sober the
Governor. But the Governor merely laughed as he swung the car round a
sharp corner.

"Don't you beli