"Yes; that is not much to promise."
"And you'll give me your hand on it?" he persisted.
"Yes, and cross my heart and body in the bargain," she added, lightly, "if that'll please you any better."
For all his gravity, she thought he was jesting until she reached her hand through the window to seal the compact.
"You know," he said, as his warm fingers closed over it, "I've never yet seen anybody whom I considered good enough for little Mary Ware."
Her eyes fell before the seriousness of his steady glance, and she turned away all in a flutter of pleasure that the "Best Man" should have said such a lovely thing about her. It was the very thing she had always thought about him.
Mrs. Ware came out just then, wheeling Jack in his chair, and soon after Norman was back with the milk, and breakfast was served out on the porch among the morning-glories. "A perfect breakfast and a perfect morning," Phil said. The 'bus which was to call for him came while they were still lingering around the table, and there was only time for a hasty good-by all around.
"Come and walk out to the gate with me, Mary, and give me a good send-off," he said, hurriedly snatching up his suit-case.
Now in this last moment, when there was much to say, neither had a word, and they walked along in silence until they reached the gate. There he turned for one more hand-clasp.
"Remember your promise," he said, gravely, as his fingers closed warmly over hers. "I meant every word I said."