His mother's bitter anger, so sure to follow--the cold, haughty mother, who never forgot or forgave an injury, and his little sister Birdie's sorrow were at that moment quite forgotten--even if they had been remembered they would have weighed as naught compared with his lovely little Daisy with the golden hair and eyes of blue looking up at him so trustingly. Daisy never forgot that walk through the sweet pink clover to the little chapel on the banks of the lonely river. The crickets chirped in the long green grass, and the breeze swayed the branches of the tall leafy trees, rocking the little birds in their nests. A sudden, swift, terrified look crept up into Daisy's face as they entered the dim shadowy parlor. Rex took her trembling chilled hands in his own; if he had not, at that moment, Daisy would have fled from the room. "Only a little courage, Daisy," he whispered, "then a life of happiness." Then as if in a dream she stood quite still by his side, while the fatal ceremony went on; in a confused murmur she heard the questions and responses of her lover, and answered the questions put to her; then Rex turned to her with a smile and a kiss. Poor little thoughtless Daisy--it was done--in a moment she had sown the seeds from which was to spring up a harvest of woe so terrible that her wildest imagination could not have painted it. "Are we really married, Rex?" she whispered, as he led her out again into the starlight; "it seems so much like a dream." He bent his handsome head and kissed his pretty child-bride. Daisy drew back with a startled cry--his lips were as cold as ice. "Yes, you are my very own now," he whispered. "No one shall ever have the right to scold you again; you are mine now, Daisy, but we must keep it a secret from every one for awhile, darling. You will do this for my sake, won't you, Daisy?" he asked. "I am rich, as far as the world knows, but it was left to me under peculiar conditions. I--I--do not like to tell you what those conditions were, Daisy." "Please tell me, Rex," she said, timidly; "you know I am your--your--wife--now." Daisy blushed so prettily as she spoke. Rex could not refrain from catching her up in his arms and kissing her. "You _shall_ know, my darling," he cried. "The conditions were I should marry the bride whom my mother selected for me. I was as much startled as you will be, Daisy, when you hear who it was--Pluma Hurlhurst, of Whitestone Hall." "But you can not marry her now, Rex," whispered the little child-bride, nestling closer in his embrace. "No; nor I would not if I could. I love you the best, my pretty wild flower. I would not exchange you, sweet, for all the world. I have only told you this so you will see why it is necessary to keep our marriage a secret--for the present, at least." Daisy readily consented. "You are very wise, Rex," she said. "I will do just as you tell me." By this time they had reached Daisy's home.