, Necia--you do; I see it in your eyes!" And he started
towards her with open arms, but she shrank away from him.

"No, no! Don't touch me!" she almost screamed.

"My dear one," he breathed, "you must listen to me. You have nothing to
fear, for I love you--love you--love you! You were made for me! You'll
be my wife. Yes; you'll be married on Sunday, but to me, not to Poleon
or any other man!"

Did she hear aright? Was he, her soldier lover, asking her, the Indian
girl--?

"You do love me, don't you?" he pleaded. But still she could not speak,
and he tried to read the answer in her swimming eyes.

"You mean--you want to--marry me?" she murmured, at last, hesitating
shyly at the word that had come to play so momentous a part in her
little world.

"Indeed I do!" he declared, with emphasis. "In spite of everything,
anything. Nothing else matters."

"Nothing?"

"Nothing! I'll quit the army. I'll give up the Service, and my people,
too. I'll put everything back of me, and we'll start out anew--just you
and I."

"Wait a moment," she said, retreating a little from his eager,
out-stretched arms. "Why do you need to do all that?"

"Never mind why; it's as good as done. You wouldn't understand--"

"But I think I do understand now. Do I really mean all that to you?"

"Yes, and more!"

"Listen to me," said the girl, quietly. "I want you to talk slowly so I
may not misunderstand. If you--marry me, must you forego all those
great things you speak of--your profession, your family, your future?"

"Don't let's talk about it, Necia; I've got you, and--"

"Please answer me," she urged. "I thought I understood, but I'm afraid
I don't. I thought it was my being a breed that stood in the way--"

"There's nothing in the way--"

"--that I wasn't good enough. I knew I could overcome that; I knew I
could make myself grow to your level, but I didn't think my blood would
fetter you and make this difference. I suppose I am putting it
awkwardly, because I'm not sure that I quite understand it myself yet.
Things seem different now, somehow, than they did before."

"Nonsense!" exclaimed the soldier. "If they don't bother me, Necia, why
should you worry?"

"Would you really have to give up your family--your sister? Would those
people you are so proud of and who are so proud of you--would they cut
you off?"

"There is no question of cutting off. I have no inheritance coming; I
don't want any. I don't want anything except you, de