“Yes, Allison––I love you––but––NO! You must not kiss me again. You must let me go, and listen––You promised, you know–––!”
Allison’s arms dropped away from her, but his eyes held her in a long look of joy.
“All right, darling, go to it”––he said with a joyous sound in his voice––“I can stand anything now, I know. It seems too good to be true and it’s enough for me. But hurry! A fellow can’t wait forever.”
“No, Allison, you must sit back and be serious. It isn’t really happy, you know––what I have to tell you–––!”
Allison became grave at once.
“All right, Jane, only I can’t imagine anything terrible enough to stop this happiness of mine unless you’re already married––and have been concealing it from us all this time–––!”
In spite of herself Jane laughed at that, and Allison breathed more freely now the tenseness was gone out of her voice. His hands went out and grasped hers.
“At least I can do this,” he pleaded, and Jane lifted her eyes, now serious again, and smiled tenderly, letting her hands stay in his passively.
“Listen, Allison––my father!”
“I know, Jane, dear––I heard it long ago. Your father was a forger! What do you suppose I care? He probably had some overpowering temptation and yielded, never dreaming but he would be able to make it right. You can’t make me believe that any parent of yours was actually bad! And besides, if he was, it wouldn’t be you–––”