"'For you?' "'Yes, for me. I want a hero of my own. Dan,' I said in an earnest impressive manner, 'you may think this is very queer, and not very modest, but I need a confidant, and Aunt Grace would think I am crazy. Cross your heart you'll never tell?' "Dan obediently crossed, and I drew out the books. "'I am going to get married.' "Dan pulled his long members together with a jerk and sat up. He was speechless. "I nodded affirmatively. 'Yes. Does it surprise you?' "'Who to?' he demanded furiously and ungrammatically. "'I haven't just decided,' I vouchsafed reluctantly. "'You haven't--great Scott, are they coming around in droves like that?' He glanced down the street as if he expected to see a galaxy of admirers heaving into view. 'I knew there were a few hanging around, but there aren't many fellows in Mount Mark.' "'No, not many, and they aren't coming in droves. I am going after them.' "Having known me almost since my toothless days, Dan knew he could only wait. "'I am getting pretty old, you know.' "He looked at me critically and gave my age a smile. "'I am very much in favor of marriage, and families, and such things. I want one myself. And if I don't hurry up, I'll have to adopt it. There's an age limit, you know.'" "'Age limit,' he exploded. "'I think I shall have a winter wedding, a white one, along in January. Not in December, it might interfere with my Christmas presents.' "'Connie--' "'I am going to be very systematic about it. In this note-book I am making a list of all the nice Mount Markers. I couldn't think of any myself right offhand, so I had to resort to the directory. Now I shall go through the list and grade them. Some are black-marked right at the start. Those that sound reasonable, I shall try out. The one that makes good, I shall marry. I've got to hurry, too. My vacation only lasts a week, and I have to work on my trousseau a little. It's lots of fun. I am perfectly fascinated with it.' "Dan had nothing to say. He looked at me with that blankness of incomprehension that must be maddening in a man after you are married to him." Carol squeezed David's hand and gurgled rapturously. This was her great delight, to get Connie talking, so cleverly, of her variegated and cosmopolitan love-affairs. "'I suppose you are surprised,' I said kindly, 'and naturally you think it rather queer. You mustn't let any one know. Mount Mark could never comprehend such modernity. I feel very advanced, myself. I want to spring up and shout, "Votes for Women" or "Up with the Red Flag," or "Villa Forever," or something else outspoken and bloody.'" Carol and David shook with laughter, silently, not to interrupt the story. "'How about love, Connie?' suggested Dan, meekly. "'I believe in love, absolutely. That is my strongest point. As soon as I find a champion, I am going to concentrate all my energy and all my talent on falling dead in love with him.' "'Have you found any eligibles yet?'