"Marvelous plot," commented Pennington Wise. "All your own, Mr. Shelby?"
"Yes," Kit replied, with frank pride; "it did turn out well, didn't it?"
"And you're going to make a book of it, too, aren't you?" asked Julie.
"Yes, a book, and a serial story and, oh, I'm going to do lots of things with it!"
"Grand opera, maybe!" chaffed Julie.
"Why not?" said Shelby, seriously. "Slighter plots than that have been put into grand opera. It may yet come about."
Without undue conceit Shelby was quite conscious of his great success, and as he walked home with Carlotta from the Crane house, he begged her to consent to his repeated proposals of marriage.
"This thing will make me rich, dear," he said, "and while that sounds mercenary, it does make me glad to have a fortune to offer you."
"But I don't love you, Kit," and Carlotta smiled carelessly at him.
"You will, Carly. You'll have to, 'cause I love you so. Oh, sweetheart, I love you just desperately— I must have you, my little girl, I must!"