"Leslie, little girl--my darling--what is the matter?"
He scarcely knew what he was saying, so anxiously he watched her. Was she hurt or in trouble, and if so, what was the trouble? Did the vapid little guest and the Freshman Vamp have anything to do with it? Somehow he forgot all about himself now and his own grievance--he only wanted to comfort her whom he loved, and it never entered his head that just at that moment the anxious Halsted was inquiring of everyone: "Haven't you seen Letchworth? Class Day'll be a mess without him! Something must have happened to him!"
Leslie lifted a tear-stained face in startled amaze. His voice! Those precious words! Leslie heard them even if he took no cognizance of them himself.
"I--you--WELL, YOU ought to know----!" burst forth Leslie and then down went the bright head once more and the slender shoulders shook with long-suppressed sobs.
It certainly was a good thing that the creek was shallow at that point and the canoes quite used to all sorts of conditions. Howard Letchworth waited for no invitation. He arose and stepped into Leslie's boat, pinioned his own with a dextrous paddle, and gave attention to comforting the princess. It somehow needed no words for awhile, until at last Leslie lifted a woebegone face that already looked half-appeased and inquired sobbily: "What made you act so perfectly horrid all this time?"
"Why--I----" began Howard lamely, wondering now just why he had----! "Why, you see, Leslie, you had company and----"
"Company! That! Now, Howard, you weren't jealous of that little excuse for a man, were you?"
Howard colored guiltily: "Why, you see, Leslie, you are so far above me----"
"Oh, I was, was I? Well, if I was above you, where did you think that other ridiculous little simp belonged, I should like to know? Not with me, I hope?"
"But you see, Leslie----" somehow the great question that had loomed between them these weeks dwarfed and shrivelled when he tried to explain it to Leslie---"Well----?"
"Well, I've just found out you are very rich----"
"Well?"
"Well, I'm POOR."
"But I thought you just said you loved me!" flashed Leslie indignantly. "If you do, I don't see what rich and poor matter. It'll all belong to us both, won't it?"
"I should hope not," said the young man, drawing himself up as much as was consistent with life in a canoe. "I would never let my wife support me."