So they waited patiently for the men breaking all known speed laws to come to them, and the time did not seem long, for they lay on the bed together, each with an arm across the other's shoulder. And in the small dark hallway outside, Angelo sat before their door, his arms clasped around his knees, his head sunk upon his breast, sound asleep. But even in his sleep keeping guard over his Americanizer and the "little Greaser." CHAPTER XXI HER ONE EXCEPTION All evening Kitty had been trying to get Nolan by telephone, always being told that he was not at the hotel and had gone to the office, and then hearing that the office line was busy. It was after eight when she finally got him on the wire. "Nolan, whoever have you been talking to? If it was anybody else besides Eveley, I am going to tell. I have been trying to get you all evening. I want you to come over here immediately. Something terrible is about to happen, and you must stop it." Nolan hesitated. "I am to be at Eveley's at nine, but if you promise to talk fast I will come." Receiving her fervent assurance, he immediately closed his desk, and in ten minutes Kitty was drawing him feverishly into her favorite corner of the living-room. "Nolan, you could never guess what is going on." "No," he admitted, with a reminiscent smile. "So many odd things have been going on lately that I confess my inability as a guesser." "Listen to this. Eveley's sister has fallen in love with some crazy aviator, and is going to elope with him. And she wants Burton to get a divorce so she can marry him." Nolan was plainly dumfounded at this revelation. "And that is not the worst. She is going to desert those two children, and Eveley--You know Eve. She says she will be the willing sacrifice to save the honor of the family, and has decided to marry Burton herself, to be a mother to Winifred's children." "Preposterous!" gasped Nolan, looking into her flushed face for symptoms of delirium. "True," came the grim answer. "But we must never allow such a bloodcurdling thing to happen. It wouldn't be right. I want you to go right over to Eveley's as fast as you can, and make her marry you. You can pretend you do not know anything about this, and sweep her right off her feet. Get her promise before she knows what is going on, and marry her before she realizes it. Then perhaps Winifred will come to her senses and not do this outrageous thing." "But, Kitty--" "You love Eveley, don't you?" "Yes, of course, but--" "Then do you call yourself a man, and yet stand idly by and see the woman you love sacrifice her life for her sister's honor--and--er babies--and--" "And husband," he said gloomily. "I could stand the honor and the babies, but I object to the husband." "Of course you do. I have my car here, and I will take you right over to Eveley's and you can settle it immediately." "I do not believe I could propose before you, Kitty," he objected shyly. "I could not think of the words."