Aline drew a quick breath.
“What do you mean?”
Connie threw the simple travelling-hat, whose feathers she was daintily touching, upon the bed.
“What do you think I mean?” she laughed nervously. “I'm not an old woman. I'm as lonely as Jimmie will be—and—”
“What?”
“Oh!—-only I've found out that I love Jimmie as much as a silly woman can love anybody, if it's any satisfaction to you to know it—and you may be quite sure I'll see that no harm comes to him during your honeymoon, dear.”
The ensuing conversation nearly caused the bride to miss her train. But no bride ever left her girlhood's room more luminously happy. On the threshold she turned and threw her arms round Connie Deering's neck.
“I'll arrange it all when I come back,” she whispered.
And Aline kept her word.