ed boy stood before me with an
eager light in his eyes. 'Aren't you Dr. Kemp?' he asked breathlessly,
like one who had been running. I recollected him the instant he raised
his hat from his nimbus of golden hair. 'Yes; and you are Will Tyrrell,'
I answered promptly. 'Why, how did you remember?' he asked in surprise;
'you saw me only once.' 'Never mind; I remember that night,' I answered.
'How is that baby sister of yours?' 'Oh, she's all right,' he replied
dismissing the subject with the royalty that brotherhood confers. 'I
say, do you ever see Miss Levice nowadays?' I looked at him with a
half-smile, not knowing whether to set him right or not, when he finally
blurted out, 'She's the finest girl I ever met. Do you know her well,
Doctor?' 'Well,' I answered, 'I know her slightly,--she is my wife.'"

He had told the little incident brightly; but as he came to the end, his
voice gradually lowered, and as he pronounced the last word, his eyes
sought hers. Her eyelids fluttered; her breath seemed suspended.

"I said you were my wife," he repeated softly, leaning forward, his
hands grasping the chair-arms.

"And what," asked Ruth, a little excited ring in her voice,--"what did
Will say?"

"Who cared?" he asked, quickly moving closer to her; "do you?" He caught
her hand in his, scarce knowing what he said, and interlaced his fingers
with hers.

"Ruth," he asked below his breath, "have you forgotten entirely what we
are to each other?"

It was such a cruel lover's act to make her face him thus, her bosom
panting, her face changing from white to red and from red to white.

"Have you, sweet love?" he insisted.

"No," she whispered, trying to turn her head from him.

"No, who?"

With an irrepressible movement she sprang up, pushing his hand from
hers. He rose also, his face pale and disturbed, and indescribable fear
overpowering him.

"You mean," he said quietly, "that you no longer love me,--say it now
and have it over."

"Oh," she cried in exquisite pain, "why do you tantalize me so--can't
you see that--"

She looked so beautiful thus confessed that with sudden ecstacy he drew
her to him and pressed his lips in one long kiss to hers.

A little later Mrs. Levice and Louis came down. Mrs. Levice entered
first and stood still; Louis, looking over her shoulder, saw
too--nothing but Ruth standing encircled by her husband's arm; her
lovely face smiled into his, which looked down at her with an expression
that drove