A moment later Kate again faced him with a smile, but her eyes glistened

with unshed tears.

"Poor papa!" she said, softly, her lips quivering; "he thinks he is

doing it all for my happiness, and no matter what wretchedness or misery

I suffer, no knowledge of it shall ever pain his dear old heart!"

"Kathie, must it be?" Darrell exclaimed, each word vibrating with

anguish; "is there no hope--no chance of escape for you from such a

fate?"

"I cannot see the slightest reason to hope for escape," she replied,

with the calmness born of despair. She clasped her small hands tightly

and turned a pale, determined face towards Darrell.

"You know, you understand it all, and I know that you do," she said, "so

there is no use in our avoiding this any longer. I want to talk it over

with you and tell you all the truth, so you will not think, by and by,

that I have been false or fickle or weak; but first there is something I

want you to tell me."

She paused a moment, then, looking him full in the eyes, she asked,

earnestly,-"John Darrell, do you still love me?"

Startled out of his customary self-control, Darrell suddenly clasped her

in his arms, exclaiming,-"Kathie darling, how can you ask such a question? Do you think my love

for you could ever grow less?"

For a moment her head nestled against his breast with a little movement

of ineffable content, as she replied,-"No; it was not that I doubted your love, but I wanted an assurance of

it to carry with me through the coming days."

Then, gently withdrawing herself from his embrace, she continued, in the

same calm, even tones: "You ask if there is no chance of escape; I can see absolutely none;

but I want you to understand, if I am forced into this marriage which

papa has planned for me, that it is not through any weakness or

cowardice on my part; that if I yield, it will be simply because of the

love and reverence I bear my father."

Though her face was slightly averted, Darrell could see the tear-drops

falling, but after a slight pause she proceeded as calmly as before: "In all these years he has tried to be both father and mother to me, and

even in this he thinks he is acting for my good. I have never disobeyed

him, and were I to do so now I believe it would break his heart. I am

all that he has left, and after what he has suffered in his silent,

Spartan way, I must bring joy--not sorrow--to his declining years. And

this will be my only reason for yielding."




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