She turned and looked at him and her face lit up with joy: "Oh! It is you! Why--how did you happen----?"
"I came to find you, Jane. Leslie told me everything and I have hunted everywhere. But when you were not at college I somehow knew you would be here. I wanted to find you--and--enfold you, Jane--wrap you around somehow with my love and care if you will let me, so that nothing like that can ever hurt you again. I love you, Jane. I suppose I'm a little previous and all that, being only a kid, as it were, and neither of us out of college yet, but I shan't change, and I'll be hanged if I see why it isn't all right for me to have the right to protect you against such annoyances as this----"
He was beside her on the log now, his face burning eagerly with deep feeling, one arm protectingly behind her, the other hand laid strongly, possessively over the small folded hands in her lap.
"Perhaps I'm taking a whole lot for granted," he said humbly. "Perhaps you don't love me--can't even like me the way I hoped you do. Oh, Jane, speak quick, and tell me! Darling, can you ever love me enough? You haven't drawn your hands away! Look up and let me read your eyes, please----"
No, she had not drawn her hands away, and she did not shrink from his supporting arm--and she was the kind of girl who would not have allowed such familiarities unless--Ah! She had lifted her eyes and there was something blindingly beautiful in them, and tears--great wonderful tears, so sweet and misty that they made him glad with a thrill of beautiful pain! Her lips were trembling. He longed to kiss her, yet knew he must wait until he had her permission---"Allison! Listen! You are dear--wonderful--but you don't know a thing about me!"
"I know all I want to know, and that is a great deal, you darling, you!" And now he did kiss her, and drew her close into his arms and would not let her go even when she struggled gently.
"Allison, listen. Listen--please! I must tell you! Wait----!"
She put her hands against his breast and pushed herself back away from him where she could look in his face.
"Please, you must let me go and listen to what I have to say!"
"I'll let you go when you tell me yes or no, Jane. Do you, can you love me? I must know that first. Then you shall have your way."