"I am going now, and I shall
return to you, God willing, within thirty-six hours, and, before I go,
I want to kiss you."
He could feel the quiver that shook her slender form at the
unexpectedness of it. She uttered a startled cry, and wondered if she
had heard aright, but she yielded to the clasp of an encircling arm.
Perhaps she lifted her face in sheer amazement; be that as it may, Dick
kissed her, not once, but many times.
"May Heaven guard and keep you, sweetheart," he said brokenly. "You
know that I love you. You have known it many a day, but I forced myself
to be silent because I was proud. Now my pride has given way to the joy
of whispering that I love you. To-morrow, that stubborn pride of mine
may rebuke me, and say that I had no right to take you to my heart to-
night, but to-night my love laughs at all that idle pretense of money
erecting a barrier between you and me. You are dearer to me than life,
and why should I not tell you so? I wanted to meet you to-night, Irene.
I made plaint to the stars when I did not see you at parting.
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