rs."

"You mean to,--but you're so capricious."

"Oh, no! not _that_, of all things! And, anyway, what does capricious
mean?"

"Well, it means like a butterfly, hovering from one flower to
another----"

"Oh, you think you're like unto a flower?"

"I'll be any kind of a flower you wish, if you'll hover around me like
a butterfly."

"Well, be a timid little forget-me-not,--that will be lovely."

"I'll forget-you-not, all right; but I can't be timid, it isn't my
nature." And now they had stopped dancing, and stood in the hall, near
the door, for it was almost time for Farnsworth to go.

"It isn't because I'm timid," and the six feet three of humanity
towered above her, "that I don't grab you up and run away with you,
but because----"

"Well, because what?" said Patty, daringly.

"Because, Apple Blossom," and Bill spoke slowly, "when I see you here
in your rightful setting, and surrounded by your own sort of people, I
realise that I'm only a great, big----"

"Bear," interrupted Patty. "You _are_ like a big bear, Bill! But such
a nice, gruff, kind, woolly bear,--and the best friend a girl ever
had. But I wish you'd be more of a chum, Little Billee. I like to be
good chums with every one of my suitors! It's all very well for
Christine to marry; she doesn't care for society, she just only loves
Mr. Hepworth."

"Some day you'll forget your love for society, because you'll get to
love just only one man."

"'And it might as well be you,'" hummed Patty, to an old tune.

"Patty!" cried Farnsworth, his blue eyes lighting up with sudden joy;
"do you mean that?"

"No, _I_ never mean anything! Of _course_, I don't mean it,--but if I
_did_, I'd say I didn't."

"Patty Pink and White! you little scamp! if you tease me like this,
how do you suppose I'm ever going to tear myself away to catch that
midnight train to Boston?"

"Why, you can't get that, Little Billee! it's too late, now!"

"No, it isn't; and beside, I _must_ make it." He looked at his watch.
"I've just exactly two minutes longer to stay with you."

"Two minutes is a long time," said Patty, flippantly.

"Yes, it is! it's just long enough for two things I have to do."

"What have you to do?" asked Patty, wonderingly, looking up at him, as
they stood alone in the hall.

Farnsworth's strong face wore a determined look, but his blue eyes
were full of a tender light, as he answered:

"Two very important things,--Apple Blossom,--this,--and this!"

He