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No fair, Billy ; you peeked — o-o-o ! ' ' Scarlet reefer, topped with white cap and flying curls, plunged recklessly over the frozen furrows, like a sensibly clad autumn nymph, pursued by a young satyr in brown corduroy ; around cornshucks ; over forlorn, abandoned cabbage-heads ; down the crisp pasture-side, to the great oaktree, raining a Danae shower of gold and russet about their heads. Here the chase came to an end abruptly.
It was his virgin kiss — and hers. It terrified them both almost equally, as tho a sudden shock had changed them from children to man and woman without any warning. Solemnly they stared into each other's eyes; then suddenly the girl's flaming face fell into the shelter of two small, trembling hands.
' ' Oh ! Billy, what made you ? " wailed a voice, trickling thru the fingers.
The boy stared down dazedly, his honest young jaw set and white. Then he drew a slow breath and bent over her swiftly.
1 'Why — I — I love you, May
Belle, ' ' he marveled. ' ' I guess I always have loved you, but I didn't know7 it till just now/' He touched one little, straining hand awkwardly, in new, wonderful fear of her. "Dont fret, May Belle— it 's all right. You
see, I — I love you "
" Honest, Billy— oh ! Billy, are you sure?" She was looking up at him with wide, joyous eyes, half-shy, half-eager with dawning consciousness of power. ' ' Do — do you love me — like Ivanhoe and — and Jacob and Mark Antony— do you, Billy?"
"Lots more," he whispered, breathless with wonder. ' ' Why, May Belle— I— I dont feel like anything would be hard to do now. I could plow the south field or clear out the wood-lot just as easy. D'you see what I mean, honey ? Aint it strange ? "
"It's lovely!" May Bene clapped her hands. "Just like poetry books. And me only seventeen ! ' '
"It's more like prayin', I think," he answered huskily. "Listen, are you willin' to be engaged ? ' ' ' 1 'Course I am ! ' ' she laughed.
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