Nell of Shorne Mills

She spoke with the frankness and ingenuousness of a child, and Drake

stroked her hair as he would that of a child.

"Yes, that's reasonable enough," he said. "But I've lost my money

lately. See?"

She nodded, and looked up at him a little more gravely.

"Yes? I am sorry. I suppose it must have seemed very hard to you. I have

never been rich, but I can imagine that one does not like losing his

money and becoming poor. Poor--Drake!"

"Then, you don't mind?" he inquired. "You don't shrink from the prospect

of being a pauper's bride, Nell?"

She laughed.

"Why should I?" she said simply. "We've always been poor--at least,

nearly since I can remember; and we have always been happy, Dick and I.

Now, it would not have been so nice if you had been very rich."

"Why not?" he asked, lifting a tress of her hair to his lips.

She thought for a moment.

"Oh, don't you see? I should have felt that you had been foolish to--to

love me----" There was an interlude. Should he ever grow tired of

kissing her? he asked himself. "And I should have been afraid."

"Afraid of what?"

"Well, that you would be ashamed of me when you took me into the society

of fashionable people, and----Oh, I am very glad that you are not rich!

That sounds unkind, I am afraid."

"Nell," he said solemnly, "I have long suspected that you were an angel

masquerading as a mere woman, but I am now convinced of it."

She laughed, and softly rubbed her cheek against his arm.

"And I have long suspected that you were a rich man and a 'somebody'

masquerading as a poor one, and I am delighted to hear that I was

mistaken."

He started at the first words of her retort, but breathed a sigh of

relief as she concluded.

"Poor or rich, I love you, Nell," he said, with a seriousness which was

almost solemn, "and I will do my level best to make you happy. When you

are my wife----"

The blood rushed to her face, and her head dropped.

"That will be a long time hence," she whispered.

"No, no!" he said quickly, passionately. "I couldn't wait very long,

Nell. But when you are my wife, I will try to prove to you that poor

people can be happy. We shall just have enough to set up a house in some

foreign land."