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I had been looking away from her all the time I was talking, gazing determinedly down a sunlit vista of pines. Every word I said seemed to tear my heart, and come from my lips stained with life-blood. Yes, Betty should marry Frank! But, good God, what would become of me!

Betty left her station under the pine tree, and walked around me until she got right in front of my face. I couldn’t help looking at her, for if I moved my eyes she moved too. There was nothing meek or submissive about her; her head was held high, her eyes were blazing, and her cheeks were crimson. But her words were meek enough.

“I will marry Frank if you wish it, Stephen,” she said. “You are my friend. I have never crossed your wishes, and, as you say, I have never regretted being guided by them. I will do exactly as you wish in this case also, I promise you that. But, in so solemn a question, I must be very certain what you DO wish. There must be no doubt in my mind or heart. Look me squarely in the eyes, Stephen–as you haven’t done once to-day, no, nor once since I came home from school–and, so looking, tell me that you wish me to marry Frank Douglas and I will do it! DO you, Stephen?”

I had to look her in the eyes, since nothing else would do her; and, as I did so, all the might of manhood in me rose up in hot revolt against the lie I would have told her. That unfaltering, impelling gaze of hers drew the truth from my lips in spite of myself.

“No, I don’t wish you to marry Frank Douglas, a thousand times no!” I said passionately. “I don’t wish you to marry any man on earth but myself. I love you–I love you, Betty. You are dearer to me than life–dearer to me than my own happiness. It was your happiness I thought of–and so I asked you to marry Frank because I believed he would make you a happy woman. That is all!”

Betty’s defiance went from her like a flame blown out. She turned away and drooped her proud head.

“It could not have made me a happy woman to marry one man, loving another,” she said, in a whisper.

I got up and went over to her.

“Betty, whom do you love?” I asked, also in a whisper.

“You,” she murmured meekly–oh, so meekly, my proud little girl!

“Betty,” I said brokenly, “I’m old–too old for you–I’m more than twenty years your senior–I’m–“

“Oh!” Betty wheeled around on me and stamped her foot. “Don’t mention your age to me again. I don’t care if you’re as old as Methuselah. But I’m not going to coax you to marry me, sir! If you won’t, I’ll never marry anybody–I’ll live and die an old maid. You can please yourself, of course!”

She turned away, half-laughing, half-crying; but I caught her in my arms and crushed her sweet lips against mine.

“Betty, I’m the happiest man in the world–and I was the most miserable when I came here.”

“You deserved to be,” said Betty cruelly. “I’m glad you were. Any man as stupid as you deserves to be unhappy. What do you think I felt like, loving you with all my heart, and seeing you simply throwing me at another man’s head. Why, I’ve always loved you, Stephen; but I didn’t know it until I went to that detestable school. Then I found out–and I thought that was why you had sent me. But, when I came home, you almost broke my heart. That was why I flirted so with all those poor, nice boys –I wanted to hurt you but I never thought I succeeded. You just went on being FATHERLY. Then, when you brought Frank here, I almost gave up hope; and I tried to make up my mind to marry him; I should have done it if you had insisted. But I had to have one more try for happiness first. I had just one little hope to inspire me with sufficient boldness. I saw you, that night, when you came back here and picked up my rose! I had come back, myself, to be alone and unhappy.”

“It is the most wonderful thing that ever happened–that you should love me,” I said.

“It’s not–I couldn’t help it,” said Betty, nestling her brown head on my shoulder. “You taught me everything else, Stephen, so nobody but you could teach me how to love. You’ve made a thorough thing of educating me.”

“When will you marry me, Betty?” I asked.

“As soon as I can fully forgive you for trying to make me marry somebody else,” said Betty.

It was rather hard lines on Frank, when you come to think of it. But, such is the selfishness of human nature that we didn’t think much about Frank. The young fellow behaved like the Douglas he was. Went a little white about the lips when I told him, wished me all happiness, and went quietly away, “gentleman unafraid.”

He has since married and is, I understand, very happy. Not as happy as I am, of course; that is impossible, because there is only one Betty in the world, and she is my wife.