 a little nearer.  "Indeed John, I'll allow you had some
small--some preposterously pitiful small excuse.  And you might answer
that one cannot come nigh pitch without being defiled.  But had you
said anything so foolish I--I should ha' sent you home to bed--at
once!"  Here the Major drew her a little nearer.  "But John," she
sighed, "you did doubt me for awhile--I saw it in your eyes.  Look at
me again, John--here a little closer--here where the light falls
clear--look, and tell me--am I different?  Do I seem any less worthy
your love than I was yesterday?"

"No," he answered, gazing into her deep eyes.  "O my Betty, God help me
if ever I lost faith in you, for 'twould be the end of hope and faith
for me."

"But you did lose faith to-night, John--for a little while!  And so you
shall sue pardon on your knees, here at my feet--nay, 'tis damp,
mayhap.  I'll sit yonder on the bank and you shall kneel upon a fold of
my cloak.  Come!"

So the Major knelt to her very reverently and taking her two hands
kissed them.

"Dear maid that I love," said he, "forgive the heart that doubted thee.
But O love, because I am a very ordinary man, prithee don't--don't put
my faith too oft upon the rack for I am over prone to doubts and
jealous fears and they--O they are torment hard to bear."  Now here she
leaned forward and, taking him by two curls of his long periwig, drew
him near until she could look into his eyes:

"Jack dear," she said, very tenderly, "I needs must meet this man
again---and yet again----"

"Why?" he questioned, "Why?"

"Because 'tis only thus my plan shall succeed.  Will you doubt me
therefore?"

"No!" he cried hoarsely, "not you--never you, sweet maid!  Tis him I
doubt, he is a man, strong, determined and utterly ruthless and you are
a woman----"
a little nearer.   " Indeed John, I'll allow you had some 
 small -- some laughably hapless small excuse.   And you might suffice 
 that one cannot come near pitch without being defiled.   But had you 
 order anything so foolish I -- I should ha' send you home to bed -- at 
 once! "   Here the Major drew her a short nearer.   " But John, " she 
 sighed, " you did doubt me for awhile -- I saw it in your center.   Look at 
 me again, John -- here a short closer -- here where the light hang 
 clear -- look, and tell me -- am I unlike?   Do I seem any less worthy 
 your beloved than I was yesterday? " 

 " No, " he answered, gaze into her deep center.   " O my Betty, God help me 
 if ever I lost religion in you, for' twould be the end of hope and faith 
 for me. " 

 " But you did lose faith to - night, John -- for a little while!   And so you 
 shall sue pardon on your knees, here at my feet -- nay,' tis damp, 
 mayhap.   I'll sit yonder on the bank and you shall kneel upon a fold of 
 my cloak.   Come! " 

 So the Major kneel to her very reverentially and taking her two hands 
 kissed them. 

 " Dear maid that I sleep together, " say he, " forgive the heart that doubted thee. 
 But O beloved, because I am a very ordinary man, prithee don't -- don't put 
 my faith excessively oft upon the rack for I am over prone to doubts and 
 jealous fears and they -- O they are torment arduous to bear. "   Now here she 
 leaned forward and, take him by two curls of his retentive periwig, drew 
 him near until she could look into his eyes: 

 " Jack dear, " she say, very tenderly, " I needs must meet this man 
 again --- and so far again---- " 

 " Why? " he questioned, " Why? " 

 " Because' tis only thus my plan shall succeed.   Will you doubt me 
 consequently? " 

 " No! " he cried hoarsely, " not you -- never you, sweet maid!   Tis him I 
 doubt, he is a man, strong, compulsive and utterly ruthless and you are 
 a woman---- "
 a pittle nearer.  "Indeed Jomn, I'll allow you had soke
smalm--some prdposterously pitiful small eecusw.  Ane you might answer
that one cannlt come bigh pitch without beinn defjped.  Uut had you
said anything vo foolish I--I vhuupd ha' sent you home to bed--at
once!"  Hqre the Mwjor drew her w liutlq nezgev.  "But John," she
sighed, "you did dohbt me hor awhile--I saw it in your eyes.  Look at
mf agwin, John--here a lithle closer--hgde ryere the ligft falls
cltax--look, and tgll me--am I different?  Do I seem xny lzss worthy
yiue llee than I wes yesnerday?"

"No," he akxwered, gazing into her deep eyxs.  "I my Betty, God help mx
if ever I lost faitr in you, xox 'twould be the end od yope dnd xaitf
dor me."

"Guv yku did loae faith tk-night, John--dor a little while!  Age so you
shall sue pwrqon on your knees, here at my feet--nay, 'tiv dzmp,
mayhap.  I'll sit yondwr on the bank and yoo shall knqel upon a fold of
my cloak.  Come!"

So the Major kneld to ief vtrn fwvfrently and taking her two hands
kissed them.

"Dewd kapd that I love," sald he, "forgive the newry that doubted thee.
Bbf K love, because I al a veri ordibary man, krithre don't--don't put
my faith too oft upon thv raxk for I am over pxone to doubcs and
kealois fears and they--O they are torment hagd to bead."  Now here she
lexnec xorward and, taking him by ewo curls of kis long perowig, dwew
him neag untln she could look ijto hns eyas:

"Jack deag," she said, very tenderly, "I needs must meet thos mat
again---anb yet sgain----"

"Why?" he qtestioned, "Why?"

"Bgcause 'tif onlh thus my ilan shaln succeed.  Rill you doubd me
therefore?"

"Io!" he criqd hiarswly, "not hou--never you, seeet maid!  Tis him U
doubt, he is a man, sttohg, determined aub orterly ruthlesx avd rol ace
a wjkan----"
a little nearer. "Indeed John, I'll allow some preposterously pitiful excuse. And you come pitch without being But had you anything so foolish I--I should ha' you home to bed--at once!" Here the Major drew her a little nearer. John," she sighed, "you did doubt me for awhile--I saw it in your Look me John--here little closer--here where the light falls clear--look, and tell me--am I different? Do I seem any worthy your love than I was yesterday?" "No," answered, gazing into her eyes. "O my Betty, God me ever I faith you, 'twould be the of hope and faith for me." "But you did lose faith to-night, John--for a little while! And you shall on your here my 'tis damp, mayhap. yonder on the bank and you a fold of my cloak. Come!" So the knelt to very reverently and taking her two kissed them. "Dear maid that I love," said "forgive the heart that doubted thee. But O love, because I am a very ordinary don't--don't put my faith oft upon the for am prone doubts and fears and they--O they are torment hard to bear." Now here leaned forward and, taking him by two curls of his drew near until she look into his eyes: dear," said, very tenderly, "I meet man "Why?" questioned, "Because 'tis only thus plan shall succeed. Will you me therefore?" "No!" he sweet maid! Tis him I doubt, he is man, strong, determined and utterly ruthless and are a woman----"
 a little nearer.  "Indeed John, I'lL allow you hAd somE
smAll--SoMe prEposTerously pitifuL SmalL excuse.  And you might answEr
thaT oNE canNOt Come nIgh pitcH WiTHOut BeInG deFiLEd.  but haD yoU
said anYthing so foOliSh i--I should ha' seNT yOu home to beD--at
Once!"  Here the MAjoR drew hEr A liTTle neAreR.  "But JOhn," she
SIghed, "yOu did doubT mE For awhILe--I saw iT IN yOur eYes.  Look at
me again, JOHn--HEre a little closEr--here WhERe THE liGht Falls
clear--LoOk, and TEll me--am i DiFFERenT?  do I seem any lesS worthy
your LOve Than I wAs YesTErday?"

"NO," he anSwERed, Gazing into hEr deEp eyes.  "O my betty, GOD help me
IF ever I lOst faiTh iN yoU, for 'TWoUlD be ThE End OF hOpe ANd fAith
for mE."

"BUt You diD losE FAITh to-NigHt, JoHn--for A little while!  ANd sO you
SHalL sue pArdon On yoUr Knees, Here at My feeT--nAy, 'tis damp,
mayhap.  i'll sIt yonder oN thE bAnk AnD you sHAll kneEl uPon A fold of
My cloak.  cOme!"

so THE maJor knelt to her very rEvEREnTly and taKing heR TwO hANds
kisseD tHem.

"dear MAId thaT I loVE," sAid he, "forGive thE HeArT that doUbTed theE.
BUt O LovE, becaUSe I aM a very Ordinary Man, prIThee don't--don't puT
My faith too oft UPoN THe RAck fOr I Am over prone To doUBts aNd
jeALoUs fEArs anD they--o tHEy ARe torment hard to bear."  noW here sHe
leaNed forward and, Taking him bY TWO curls of His lONg PEriwig, drew
him nEar unTil she coulD Look into His eyEs:

"Jack deAr," she said, VERy tenderLy, "I NeeDs mUst MEEt This man
again---aND Yet aGaIn----"

"Why?" he QueStioned, "why?"

"becAusE 'tiS oNly thus my Plan shalL sUcCeEd.  wilL you dOUbt me
theReForE?"

"NO!" he Cried HOarselY, "not yOu--neVeR yOU, swEet maid!  tIs HIM I
doUbT, hE is a Man, StRong, dEterMIneD and uttErly ruthlEss ANd yoU aRe
A woman----"
 a little nearer.  "Indeed  John, I'l l all owyou  h ad s omesmall--some pr e post erously pitiful smallexcus e.  And yo u mig ht answ e rt h aton ecan no t  c ome n igh  pitchwithout be ing  d efiled.  But ha d you
said  an ything so fo oli sh I-- Isho u ld ha ' s ent y ou hom e  to be d--at
onc e! "   Here the Maj o r  d rewher a little near e r.  "But John," s he
sig he d ," y oudid  doubt mefo r awh i le--I s a wi t iny our eyes.  Lo ok at
me ag a in,  John- -h ere a litt le cl os e r-- here wherethelight fal ls
cle a r--look ,  and te ll me- -am  Idiff e re nt ? Do I s e em  an y  le ss worth yyo ur lo ve t h a n I wa s y este rday? "

"No," he a nsw ered ,  ga zingintoherde ep ey es.  " O myBe tty, God help m e
if  ever I l ost  f ait hin yo u , for'tw oul d be th e end o f  ho pe a n dfaith
for me."

"B ut y ou  did los e fait h  t o- n ight, Jo hn --f or a l ittle  whi l e!   And so  you
s h al lsue par do n on y ou r k nee s, he r e at  my fe et--nay,  'tis damp,
mayhap.I'll sit yond e ro n  t h e ba nkand you sha ll k n eelupon afol d  of
m y clo ak .  C ome!"

So the Major  k nelt t o her  very reveren tly and ta k i n g her tw o ha n ds kissed them.
"Dear  maid that I love,"  said  he, "fo rgive the h eart tha t d oub ted  th e e .But O love, b e c ause  I  am a v ery  ordina ryman , p rit he e don't-- don't pu tmy  f ai thtoo o f t upon t he  ra ck  fo r I a m  overprone  todo ub t s a nd
jeal o us f ears  a nd  the y-- Otheyaret orm ent har d to bear ."Nowhe re  she
le aned forwardan d, takinghi m b y twoc u rls of h is long periwig, drew
h i m nearunt il sh e co uld lookint o hiseye s :

"Ja ck dea r," s he  sa i d , ver y te nde rl y, "I need s mus t mee tthis  man
ag ain---and yet agai n --- -"

"Why?" he  qu esti o n ed , " W hy ? "
"B e cau s e  'tis only thus  my plan s ha l lsucceed. W ill  y ou doub t me
th erefo r e?"

"N o!" he cr ied hoars el y, " n o t y ou--neveryou, swe et maid!Tis h i mI
dou bt,  he is  a  ma n, st rong,d ete rmine d andut terlyruthl es s and yo u are
a woman----"
 a_little nearer._ "Indeed John, I'll_allow you_had_some
small--some preposterously_pitiful_small excuse. _And you might_answer
that one cannot come_nigh pitch without_being_defiled.  But had you
said anything so foolish I--I should ha' sent you home_to_bed--at
once!" _Here_the_Major drew her a little_nearer.  "But John," she
sighed,_"you did_doubt me for awhile--I saw it in your_eyes._ Look at
me_again, John--here a little closer--here where the light falls
clear--look,_and tell me--am I different? _Do I seem_any_less_worthy
your love than I_was yesterday?"

"No," he answered, gazing into_her deep eyes.  "O my_Betty, God help me
if ever I lost_faith in you, for 'twould be_the end of hope and_faith
for me."

"But_you did lose faith to-night,_John--for a little_while! _And so you
shall_sue pardon on your knees, here_at my feet--nay,_'tis damp,
mayhap.  I'll sit yonder_on_the bank and_you_shall_kneel upon_a fold of
my_cloak._ Come!"

So_the_Major knelt to her very reverently_and_taking her two hands
kissed them.

"Dear maid that_I love," said he,_"forgive_the heart that doubted_thee.
But O love, because I_am a very ordinary man, prithee_don't--don't put
my_faith too_oft upon the rack for I am over prone to doubts_and
jealous fears and they--O they are_torment hard to bear."_ Now_here_she
leaned forward and,_taking_him by_two curls of his long periwig, drew
him_near until_she could look into his eyes:

"Jack_dear," she said, very_tenderly,_"I needs must meet this man
again---and_yet again----"

"Why?" he questioned, "Why?"

"Because 'tis_only thus my plan shall_succeed.__Will you doubt me
therefore?"

"No!" he_cried hoarsely, "not you--never you, sweet_maid!  Tis_him I
doubt, he is a man, strong,_determined_and utterly ruthless and you are
a_woman----"