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THE LOST MILLIONAIRE
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this. Suppose she should fail him?
But then Suppose — oh, dear
Heaven ! suppose she should not fail ? He went to her, earth-stained and shabby from the field.
' ' I Ve done sold the land, after all. ' ' She bent to him a glowing rose of a face — "f'r a hundred — thousand — dollars!"
' ' Ah-a-a ! ' ' His heart was pounding furiously, but he schooled his lips
of her answer. He had a quick vision of the glory that would be his if she were not as other women — if she were indeed what his heart recognized — his One Woman. He would take her back to New York, to his mother, his splendid home. He could almost see the wonder of her at the swirl of the city, at his great, gilded home, his true name and state. Yet even as he dwelt on it, the vision shattered sick
WHY, I LOVE Y U, CRIED HIS WOMAN
and face to the mummer 's part he had decided on.
"Well, little girl, I congratulate you" — he half -turned away — "of course it's hard on me."
"Y'u!" Wonder widened her eyes.
' ' Why, yes ! " He forced a harsh laugh and gestured bitterly. "Look at me. I'm a pauper, and you're an heiress. You can marry whom you please, and I — well, my dream is over. But I'll always love you, little girl."
He waited. All the worth-whileness of life seemed swung in the balance
eningly. No woman could be like that — his test had been too hard. Heiresses did not marry paupers, except in nickel novels for servant-girls to read. The world whirled and tottered, waiting, as he.
Then he heard her laugh, felt her soft arms about his neck, lifting his drooping face. He opened his eyes. The love-light of her face dazzled him.
"Why, I love y'u!" cried his woman ; then her head nestled against his homespun shoulder.