“I could not! When I thought it all over, I was so ashamed of myself that I resolved never to write to you, and I thought we could never meet again.”
“You had no cause to be ashamed.”
“Yes, I had. I was so bold! I saw it all afterward, and I knew how I must look in your eyes.”
“You saw it in a wrong light, Miss Dugan. I never thought of you as bold. Indeed, I have thought of you in quite a different light.”
“Truly?”
“On my word of honor.”
“I believe you!” she joyously exclaimed. “Nothing could make me doubt you.”
“Come,” said Frank; “the officer has scattered the crowd. I see my cabby is being taken away in an ambulance. Poor fellow! And the one who ran us down escaped. Well, you and I will take another cab to escape from the curious eyes that are watching us.”
Frank was himself again. He called a cab, assisted Hilda to enter, said “Up Broadway,” and was quickly beside her.
Frank’s head was still humming, and he was badly shaken up. Had he not been an athlete in the finest possible condition it is probable he would have been injured far more severely; but the fellow who can quickly recover after being tackled while at full run on the football-field and hurled heavily to the frozen ground is not easily knocked out by any kind of fall.