"It's so pretty it hurts," said the girl, clasping her hands about her knees. "I love to watch it all, but it makes the shivers go over me--makes me feel sort of lonesome. Don't it you?" Mr. Opp shook his head emphatically. It was the one time in years that down in the depths of his soul he had not felt lonesome. For as Indian summer had come back to earth, so youth had come back to Mr. Opp. The flower of his being was waking to bloom, and the spring tides were at flood. A belated robin overhead, unable longer to contain his rapture, burst into song; but Mr. Opp, equally full of his subject, was unable to utter a syllable. The sparkling eloquence and the fine phrases had evaporated, and only the bare truth was left. Guinevere, having become aware of the very ardent looks that were being cast upon her, said she thought the boat must be about due. "Oh, no," said Mr. Opp; "that is, I was about to say--why--er--say, Miss Guin-never, do you think you could ever come to keer about me?" Guinevere, thus brought to bay, took refuge in subterfuge. "Why--Mr. Opp--I'm not old enough for you." "Yes, you are," he burst forth fervently. "You are everything for me: old enough, and beautiful enough, and smart enough, and sweet enough. I never beheld a human creature that could even begin to think about comparing with you." Guinevere, in the agitation of the moment, nervously plucked all the leaves from the branch that had been acquired with such effort. It was with difficulty that she finally managed to lift her eyes. "You've been mighty good to me," she faltered, "and--and made me lots happier; but I--I don't care in the way you mean." "Is there anybody else?" demanded Mr. Opp, ready to hurl himself to destruction if she answered in the affirmative. "Oh, no," she answered him; "there never has been anybody." [Illustration: "'Why, Mr. Opp, I'm not old enough'"] "Then I'll take my chance," said Mr. Opp, expanding his narrow chest. "Whatever I've got out of the world I've had to fight for. I don't mind saying to you that I was sorter started out with a handicap. You know my sister--she's a--well, a' invalid, you might say, and while her pa was living, my fortunes wasn't what you might call as favorable as they are at present. I never thought there would be any use in my considering getting married till I met you, then I didn't seem able somehow to consider nothing else. If you'll just let me, I'll wait. I'll learn you to care. I won't bother you, but just wait patient as long as you say." And this from Mr. Opp, whose sands of life were already half-run! "All I ask for," he went on wistfully, "is a little sign now and then. You might give me a little look or something just to keep the time from seeming too long."