"Yes. Shouldn't you prefer to have him go away?"
"No, not unless he wishes it. I would rather he stayed."
"Things will come right for you, dearest. They always do when one is trying to live up to her standards, and to do the best she knows how. Perhaps I have made you feel that even I thought you ought to marry him. If I have, please forgive me for adding to the cruelty of your position. I ought to have known that you would be glad, too, if it could have been Jack."
Mildred rose to a sitting position. "Let us forgive mutually," she said, wiping her eyes. "I am mortally ashamed of myself for bothering you at such a time. Wait till to-morrow morning and see me redeem my character by my treatment of that—thief!" She stooped and kissed her sister passionately. "Why should I blame him, when I know that I would not look at any woman but you if I were a man? What a lot of trouble it would have saved me, by the way!"
"I don't know," returned the other with a smile. "You see I should have been forced to refuse you."
"That is just like saying you love him better than me," with quick suspicion.
"No, no; only better than that man you were going to be."
"Well," said Mildred, shrugging her shoulder in a characteristic gesture, "I rather think I should enjoy the refreshing change of being refused once or twice. As for you,—as if I should mind your refusal! I should simply kidnap you." She stooped, and laid her cheek against Clover's once more.
Aunt Love was a happy woman next day. She was quite a heroine in the small family jubilation.
"All my life I shall owe you twelve added hours of happiness," Page said to her, when she gave him a rousing kiss.