Tom seized both her hands as he asked this question, and wrung them till she could scarcely keep from crying out with pain.
"Oh, how I did hate him!" she exclaimed, shuddering.
"Elsie," said Tom, "look into my face, straight into my eyes."
She obeyed him, with a look of piteous appeal.
"Did you ever love me?"
Her hands were locked together, she lifted them up with more of energy than he had ever witnessed in her before.
"Did you?" repeated Tom, and a glow came into his face.
"Yes."
The word had scarcely left her lips when Tom flung the gilded chair back and fell on his knees, gathering her up in his arms with a wild outburst of feeling.
"Then I'll be d—— hung and choked to death if anything on God's beautiful earth keeps me from marrying you!"