“I’ve been thinking, Sally,” he said at last, gently. “First, we’ll get married in the morning, or as soon as we find a county seat, and then—”
“But David.” Sally sat up, her heart pounding with joy but her mind unexpectedly clear and logical, “we mustn’t, darling. You’ve got to finish college, somehow, somewhere—I can’t bear to be a burden upon you! You’re so young, so young!”
“I’m going to take care of you,” David answered steadily. “We love each other and I think we always will. My father married when he was nineteen, and I’m nearly twenty-one—and big for my age,” he added, grinning at her. “We can’t go on like this, honey. Mrs. Stone would have a right to think the worst of us—of you—if we were not married when she catches up with us. She would be justified in thinking that Clem Carson told the truth to the police when he charged us with—with immorality. Don’t you see, darling, that we just must be married now?”
“Then I’ll run away by myself!” Sally flashed at him, springing to her feet. “I’m not going to have you forced into marriage when you’re not old enough and not really ready for it. You’d hate me for being a drag on you—”
“Sally!” David was on his feet now and his stern voice checked her before she had run a dozen steps away from him. “Come here!”
She crept into his arms, and laid her head against his chest, so that his heart beat strongly and steadily just beneath her ear.
“Listen, Sally, beloved,” he urged softly. “I want to marry you more than anything in the world. It might have been better if we had met and fallen in love when we were both older, but fate took care of that for us, and I’m only proud and happy to be able to ask you now to marry me. I’ll not make much money at first, maybe, but neither of us has been used to a great deal, and I promise you now that I’ll not fail you in love and loyalty. I’ve never cared for any other girl and I never will. Let’s not try to look too far ahead. We’re young and strong and in love. Isn’t that enough, sweet?”
“Yes,” she agreed, nodding her head against his breast.
“Then let’s travel,” he laughed jubilantly. “This is our wedding day, Sally! Think of it, sweet! Our wedding day!”
As they plodded hand in hand through the long hours before dawn Sally thought of nothing else. She was glad that walking made talking a waste of energy, for she wanted to think and feel and search her heart and soul for treasure to lavish upon the boy-man she was to marry.