She was confused, almost tortured with her thoughts.
"Ask me no answer tonight," she said trembling. "I must think and—pray."
"You do not scorn me, then?" he asked with a great joy lighting his eyes.
"Scorn you? It will be my happiness to arouse you to a real sense of your worth!"
***********
One month later, Betty announced her engagement to Frank Edgeway.
She had thought and prayed over it, and he had not ceased his persuasions. It did not seem quite natural to be contemplating marriage with another, when her heart's idol was surely George. But George belonged to another, and the hopelessness of her own love, gave her greater sympathy for Edgeway.
"Frank, sometimes I think you love me too much," said Betty, "are you sure that you will not be disappointed in my poor return?"
"Disappointed? O, if you only know what you have done for me. I thought it impossible to ever be really content. I hardly know myself. The world is a very different affair with my Betty. My Betty!—How strangely beautiful those words sound! Just to repeat them over and over again gives me untold joy!"
She looked into his adoring eyes, and felt a certain delight in the thought of his satisfied longings. She smiled at him happily.