Part 2 (1/2)

”Hm-m. Is he really, indeed,” murmured John Denby. ”No, I had not noticed.”

John Denby spoke vaguely, yet with a shade of irritation. Fond as he was of his sister and of his small nephews, he was finding it difficult to accustom himself to the revolutionary changes in his daily routine that their presence made necessary. He was learning to absent himself more and more from the house.

For a week, therefore, unchallenged, and cheerfully intent on his benevolent mission, Burke Denby continued his drives and picnics and ball-playing with Masters Paul and Percy Allen; then, very suddenly, four little words from the lips of Helen Barnet changed for him the earth and the sky above.

”When I go away--” she began.

”When you--_go--away_!” he interrupted.

”Yes. Why, Mr. Denby, what makes you look so--queer?”

”Nothing. I was thinking--that is, I had forgotten--I--” He rose to his feet abruptly, and crossed the room. At the window, for a full minute, he stood motionless, looking out at the falling rain. When he turned back into the room there was a new expression on his face. With a quick glance at the children playing on the rug before the fireplace, he crossed straight to the plainly surprised young woman and dropped himself in a chair at her side.

”Helen Barnet, will you--marry me?” he asked softly.

”_Mr. Denby!_”

With a boyish laugh Burke Denby drew his chair nearer. His face was alight with the confident happiness of one who has never known rebuff.

”You are surprised--and so was I, a minute ago. You see, it came to me all in a flash--what it would be to live--without you.” His voice grew tender. ”Helen, you will stay, and be my wife?”

”Oh, no, no--I mustn't, I can't! Why, of course I can't, Mr. Denby,”

fluttered the girl, in a panic of startled embarra.s.sment. ”I'm sure you--you don't want me to.”

”But I do. Listen!” He threw another quick glance at the absorbed children as he reached out and took possession of her hand. ”It all came to me, back there at the window--the dreariness, the emptiness of--everything, without _you_. And I saw then what you've been to me every day this past week. How I've watched for you and waited for you, and how everything I did and said and had was just--something for you.

And I knew then that I--I loved you. You see, I--I never loved any one before,”--the boyish red swept to his forehead as he laughed whimsically,--”and so I--I didn't recognize the symptoms!” With the lightness of his words he was plainly trying to hide the shake in his voice. ”Helen, you--will?”

”Oh, but I--I--!” Her eyes were frightened and pleading.

”Don't you _care_ at all?”

She turned her head away.

”If you don't, then won't you let me _make_ you care?” he begged. ”You said you had no one now to care--at all; and I care so much! Won't you let--”

Somewhere a door shut.

With a low cry Helen Barnet pulled away her hand and sprang to her feet.

She was down on the rug with the children, very flushed of face, when Mrs. Allen appeared in the library doorway.

”Oh, here you are!” Mrs. Allen frowned and spoke a bit impatiently.

”I've been hunting everywhere for you. I supposed you were in the nursery. Won't you put the boys into fresh suits? I have friends calling soon, and I want the children brought to the drawing-room when I ring, and left till I call you again.”

”Yes, ma'am.”

With a still more painful flush on her face Helen Barnet swept the blocks into her ap.r.o.n, rose to her feet, and hurried the children from the room. She did not once glance at the young man standing by the window.

Mrs. Allen tossed her nephew a smile and a shrug which might have been translated into ”You see what we have to endure--so tiresome!” as she, too, disappeared.

Burke Denby did not smile. He did frown, however. He felt vaguely irritated and abused. He wished his aunt would not be so ”bossy” and disagreeable. He wished Helen would not act so cringingly submissive. As if she-- But then, it would be different right away, of course, as soon as he had made known the fact that she was to be his wife. Everything would be different. For that matter, Helen herself would be different.