"How much do you need?" he inquired, wondering if it was within his power to oblige her.
"Oh, too much, I am afraid. And I cannot answer any questions, because the object I have is a secret. I don't think my plan very feasible, for it might be years and years before I could pay it back. You won't mind my speaking of it, will you?"
Curiosity grew stronger, and as politely as possible he renewed his question as to how much the girl needed to carry out her plan.
"I don't know, exactly," she said, thoughtfully. "Perhaps a thousand dollars a year for five or six years; it might take less."
"It is a great deal," he admitted. "Does your father know what you contemplate?"
The girl changed color at once.
"Oh, no. I should not like to have him, either. He would say it was very foolish. And yet I am sure it would not be. The money would do much good—yes, ever so much."
The young man thought hard for a few moments. A desire to see a brighter light flash into those young eyes possessed him. He debated seriously the idea of handing her his patrimony, as he would have given her a pound of candy if she had wanted it.
"I might give you part," he said, after a pause. "Perhaps your thousand for the first year or two."
She looked him full in the face, and put both her hands in his impulsively.