“Yes, you see, Dorothy, I am really much deeper than the ordinary woman. Who, for instance, could find such a beautiful love simile from a book of arithmetic costing twenty-five cents, as I have unearthed from decimal fractions? With that example in mind how can you doubt that other volumes of college learning reveal to me their inner meaning? John presented to me, as he said good-by, a beautifully bound copy of that celebrated text-book, ‘Saunders’ Analytical Chemistry,’ with particularly tender passages marked in pencil, by his own dear hand.” Rather bewildered, for Kate’s expression was one of pathos, unrelieved by any gleam of humor, Dorothy nevertheless laughed, although the laugh brought no echo from Katherine. “And did you give him a volume of Browning in return?” “No, I didn’t. How can you be so unsympathetic? Is it impossible for you to comprehend the unseen link that binds John and me? I rummaged the book store until I found a charming little edition of ‘Marshall’s Geologist’s Pocket Companion,’ covered with beautiful brown limp Russia leather--I thought the Russia binding was so inspirational--with a sweet little clasp that keeps it closed--typical of our hands at parting. On the fly-leaf I wrote: ‘To J. L., in remembrance of many interesting conversations with his friend, K. K.’ It only needed another K to be emblematic and political, a reminiscence of the olden times, when you people of the South, Dorothy, were making it hot for us deserving folks in the North. I hadn’t time to go through the book very thoroughly, but I found many references to limestone, which I marked, and one particularly choice bit of English relating to the dissolution and re-consolidation of various minerals I drew a parallelogram around in red ink. A friend of mine in a motor launch was good enough to take the little parcel direct to the ‘Consternation,’ and I have no doubt that at this moment Jack is perusing it, and perhaps thinking of the giver. I hope it’s up-to-date, and that he had not previously bought a copy.” “You don’t mean to say, Kate, that your conversation was entirely about geology?” “Certainly not. How could you have become imbued with an idea so absurd? We had many delightful dalliances down the romantic groves of chemistry, heart-to-heart talks on metallurgy, and once--ah, shall I ever forget it--while the dusk gently enfolded us, and I gazed into those bright, speaking, intelligent eyes of his as he bent nearer and nearer; while his low, sonorous voice in well-chosen words pictured to me the promise which fortified cement holds out to the world; that is, ignorant person, Portland cement strengthened by ribs of steel; and I sat listening breathless as his glowing phrases prophesied the future of this combination.” Katherine closed her eyes, rocked gently back and forth, and crooned, almost inaudibly: