ppose you found yourself married to
this girl, just as you are--nominally--legally--but not really. Would
you--would you make it--really?"

They exchanged a long silent look. His eyes had not left hers when he
said: "I--I might."

"Good! Now suppose she wasn't in the world at all, or that you'd never
heard of her. And suppose that you and I were--were on just the same
terms that we are to-day. Would you--would you want to marry me?
Answer me truly."

"Why, yes; of course."

"Now suppose that she and I were standing together, and you were led
in to choose between us. And suppose you were absolutely free and
untrammelled in your choice, with no question as to her feelings or
mine to trouble you. Which would you take? Answer me just as truly and
sincerely as you can."

He took time to think, wheeling away from her, and walking up and down
the little room with his hands behind his back. It occurred to neither
that Barbara having broken the "engagement," and returned the ring,
the choice before him was purely hypothetical. Their relations were no
more affected by the note she had written him that morning than by the
ceremony through which he and Letty had walked in the previous year.

To Barbara the suspense was almost unbearable. In a minute or two, and
with a word or two, she would know how life for the future was to be
cast. She would have before her the possibility of some day becoming a
happy wife--or a great career like her aunt's.

Pausing in his walk he confronted her just as he stood, his hands
still clasped behind his back. Her own attitude, with elbow resting on
the mantelpiece, was that of a woman equal to anything.

He spoke slowly. "Just as truly and sincerely as I can answer you--I
don't know."

She stirred slightly, but otherwise gave no sign of her impatience.
"And is there anything that would help you to find out?"

He shook his head. "Nothing that I can think of, unless----"

"Yes? Unless--what?"

"Unless it's something that would unlock what's locked in my
subconsciousness."

"And what would that be?"

"I haven't the faintest idea."

She moved from the mantelpiece with a gesture of despair. "Rash,
you're absolutely and hopelessly impossible."

"I know that," he admitted, humbly.

With both fists clenched she stood in front of him. "I could kill
you."

He hung his head. "Not half so easily as I could kill myself."

* * * * *

Letty's jud