“And that brazen girl wouldn’t have dared come here to the same college and make it hot for you–––!”
“Allison! How did you know?” Jane sat up and looked into his eyes, startled.
“I knew from the first mention that it must have been Eugenia Frazer. No girl in her senses would have taken the trouble to do what she did to-day without some grievance–––! Oh, that girl! She is beyond words! Think of anybody ever falling in love with her! I’d like the pleasure of informing her what her father was. Of course, though, it wasn’t her fault. She couldn’t help her father being what he was, but she could help what she is herself. I should certainly like to see her get what’s coming to her–––!”
“Don’t Allison––please! It isn’t the right spirit for us to have. Perhaps I’d be just like her if I were in her place–––”
“I see you being like her––you angel!” And 339 Allison leaned over again to look into the eyes of his beloved.
“Well, dear, we’ll get the right spirit about it somehow, and forget her, but I mean she shall understand right where she gets off before this thing goes any farther. No, you needn’t protest. I’m not going to give away your confidence. But I’m going to settle that girl where she won’t dare to make any more trouble for you ever again. And the first thing we’re going to do is to announce our engagement. I feel like going up to the college bulletin board right this minute and writing it out in great big letters!”
“Allison!” Jane sat up with shining eyes and her cheeks very red. Then they both broke down and laughed, Jane’s merriment ending in a serious look.
“Allison, you really want me, now you know what people may think about my father?”
“Jane, I’ve known all that since I first saw you. Our beloved pastor kindly informed me of it the night he introduced us, so you see how little weight it had with any of us. I had no knowledge but that it was all true, although I couldn’t for the life of me see how a man who was unworthy of you could have possibly been your father; but it was you, and not your father, I fell in love with the first night I saw you. I’m mighty glad for your sake that he wasn’t that kind of man, because I know how you would feel about it, but as for what other people think about it, I should worry! And Jane, make up your mind right here and now that we’re going to be married the day we both graduate, see? I won’t wait a day longer to have the right to protect you–––”
The tall trees whispered above their heads, and the 340 birds looked down and dropped wonderful melodies about them, and Leslie stormily drove her car back and forth on the pike and sounded her klaxon loud and long, but it was almost an hour later that it suddenly occurred to Allison that Leslie was waiting for them, and still later before the two with blissful lingering finally wended their way out to the road and were taken up by the subdued and weary Leslie, who greeted them with relief and fell upon her new sister with eager enthusiasm and genuine delight.