when I told him how it was, oh, I won't
tell you how rude he became. Just after he told me about that other
person."

Elsie broke off here, and covered her face with both hands again. Tom
saw the scarlet glow where it shot up to her temples and bathed her
white throat, and gave his hands one hard grip in a wild desire to
strike something.

"There comes a question," he said, hoarsely; "did you leave him?"

"Yes, yes; that very hour."

"And never saw him again?"

"Never but once; and then I ordered him out of the house."

"Because you hated him so?"

Tom seized both her hands as he asked this question, and wrung them till
she could scarcely keep from crying out with pain.

"Oh, how I did hate him!" she exclaimed, shuddering.

"Elsie," said Tom, "look into my face, straight into my eyes."

She obeyed him, with a look of piteous appeal.

"Did you ever love me?"

Her hands were locked together, she lifted them up with more of energy
than he had ever witnessed in her before.

"Did you?" repeated Tom, and a glow came into his face.

"Yes."

The word had scarcely left her lips when Tom flung the gilded chair back
and fell on his knees, gathering her up in his arms with a wild outburst
of feeling.

"Then I'll be d---- hung and choked to death if anything on God's
beautiful earth keeps me from marrying you!"

She clung to him, she lifted her quivering lips to his.

"Say it again, just once, darling?" cried Tom, shaking back his tawny
locks with energy. "Is this love downright, honest, whole-hearted love?"

"Yes, yes!"

"God bless you, darling! And when was it? about what time did it begin?"

She answered him honestly, but with a faltering voice:

"Oh, Tom, I'm afraid it wasn't till after you got so rich. Don't think
hard of it; I do love beautiful things so much--but indeed, indeed I
love you more."

"Then I'm glad the old covey left me all his money. I don't care a
d---- red cent why you love me, only I must be sure that it's a fixed
fact. Now I'll go straight out and tell Bessie."

Elsie turned cold.

"Oh, Tom, she'll never consent to it."

"Won't she! I'd just like to know why?"

"And my brother, he is so cold, so unforgiving."

"Is he? then I'll take you away to a warmer climate. But don't believe
it; he's proud as a race-horse, but you'll find him a trump in the end."

"Don't go yet, Tom, I am afraid they will--"

"No, they wont," cried Tom, and away he went into Elizabeth's
sitting-r