e whisked him off
just then she waited for the next installment of his confidence.

"You must tell me, first, what relationship you seek to establish,"
she demanded, as he came up for his answer.

He looked at her quizzically, and seeing a slight gleam of humor in
her fine eyes, he launched into the heart of the question.

"What relationship? Well, I should say that of husband and wife, if I
was not afraid of being premature;" he glanced at her and saw that she
was interested and not in the least forbidding. "To be sure, I am
poor, while you are wealthy, but I'm willing to overlook that; in
fact, I'm willing to overlook anything, and dare all things if you
would only consider me favorably--as a son-in-law."

"You are actually serious?"

"Serious, am I--on my faith, it's a life and death affair with me this
minute!"

"And my little Evilena the cause?"

"Yes, our Evilena, who does not feel so small as you may imagine. Look
at her now. Could a dozen seasons give her more confidence in her own
powers than she has this minute by reason of those uniformed
admirers?--to say nothing of my own case."

"_Our_ Evilena?" and Mrs. McVeigh raised her brows inquiringly--"then
you have proposed?"

"Indeed, no! I have not had the courage until tonight; but when I see
a lot of lads daft as myself over her, I just whispered in the ear of
Delaven that he'd better speak quick. But I would not propose without
asking your permission."

"And if I refused it?"

"You could not be so hard-hearted as that?"

"But suppose I could--and should?"

He caught the gleam of teasing light in her eyes, and smiled back at
her:

"I should propose just the same!"

"Well," said Evilena's mother, with a combination of amusement and
sympathy in her expression, "you may speak to her and let me know the
result."

"I'd get down on my knees to kiss the toe of your slipper, this
minute," he whispered, gratefully, "but the Judge would scalp me if I
dared; he is eyeing me with suspicion already. As to the result--well,
if you hear a serenade in the wee small hours of the night, don't let
it disturb you. I've got the guitar and the uniform all ready, and if
I fail it will not be because I have overlooked any romantic adjuncts
to successful wooing. I'll be under your daughter's window singing
'Sweet Evilena,' rigged out like a cavalier in a picture-book. I'm
wishing I could borrow a feather for the hat."

She laughed at the grotesque picture he sug