"Oh! no! no!" she gasped. "Why do you say such things to me?—you—engaged to Blanche Puddicombe!"
"O-h!"—It held a note of exultation. "Has that absurd story reached you? Miss Sterling, there is not an atom of truth in it!" The words tumbled from his lips. "Mrs. Puddicombe's grandmother and my grandfather were sister and brother. The families have always been friendly. Last summer Blanche was in such wretched health that her mother wanted me to take her to ride as often as I could. So whenever I went off on business I would carry Blanche along. That is all there is to it!"
They were moving slowly now. A great car came honking up behind, roared past, and became a red star in the distance. Another flashed out ahead, glared down upon them, and whizzed by. Nelson Randolph spoke again.
"Have you no hope for me?"
"Oh, yes!" It barely rose through the purring of the car.
His right hand left the wheel and closed over the two little gray-gloved ones folded so quietly.
"You shall never regret it!" he promised. "I will try to make you forget this year of misery."
The talk ran on. As they passed through th6 outskirts of Fair
Harbor, he said:—
"I expect to go to New York to-morrow morning on the 6.30 train. If I can get through my business in time I shall come back in the evening; but I am afraid it will be too late for a ride. That will have to wait until Thursday. I don't know how I am going to communicate with you. I cannot bear to leave you without any means of letting me know if you are in trouble."
"I don't think there will be any trouble," she said contentedly.