“By George! I never thought of that!” exclaimed the youth. “I guess I haven’t much of a financial head.” “Oh, you’re all right,” returned Murray. “You’re the first fellow I ever knew who made a matrimonial bureau of an insurance office. I’ve got something to learn about this business yet.” With his second policy in his pocket, Harry reverted quite casually to the subject of insurance, although he had first taken the precaution to have a lot of insurance literature sent to Alice. From this she learned that nothing could quite equal it in making the future secure. “I have decided,” said Harry in an offhand way, “that the best investment for a young man who has any one dependent upon him is life insurance. I have just taken out another policy for a thousand dollars.” “How thoughtful of you!” exclaimed Alice. “It’s on the twenty-year endowment plan,” explained Harry. “At the end of twenty years the whole sum may be drawn down or it may be left to accumulate. As provision for the future, I guess that makes any two or three thousand in the bank look like thirty cents.” “You’re awfully good to me,” said Alice, for this apparent evidence of unselfish devotion, in addition to what had preceded it, really made her reproach herself for her capriciousness. But it was such jolly fun to keep two men anxious! “The insurance,” Harry went on, “is payable to my estate.” “What does that mean, Harry?” she asked. “It means,” replied Harry, “that a girl has got to marry me to get a chance at it.” “I always did like you, Harry.” “Yes?” “But you’re so impatient.” Harry was beginning to develop a little strategical ingenuity. “There is no need,” he said, “to make a secret of this. I’m not ashamed to have all the girls know that I am making proper provision for the one who becomes my wife.” “Harry Renway,” exclaimed Alice, “if you make our private affairs a subject of public gossip I’ll never speak to you again as long as I live.” Thereupon Harry demonstrated that he was not as “simple” as he was supposed to be, for he promptly returned the kiss that she had given him on a previous occasion. There could be no misinterpreting “our” private affairs. “When?” he asked. “Oh, pretty soon,” she replied, for the flirtatious instinct was still in evidence. Besides, under the circumstances, too much haste might be in poor taste. However, their friends were told of the engagement, and that was something. Tom Nelson was angry and disgusted. “The fool!” he exclaimed. “A live man wants to have the use of his money, and he has tied himself up with insurance. That isn’t my way.” “But he got the girl,” some one suggested. “Not yet,” retorted Tom, “and you never can tell.”