Her voice! Her blessed, sweet voice, of which every syllable, every shade, was indented in my memory like the record of a what's-its-name! By Jove, my Frances, and right behind me! All I could do to sit still a minute longer, but I knew jolly well if I turned now I would be introduced to the freak and lose I couldn't tell how many precious moments with my dear one. So I sat low in the chair, polishing my monocle, you know, and noting with satisfaction that my part reflected all right in the little strip of mirror. I tried to get a glimpse of her in it, too, but all I could see was a glorious white hat--a stunning Neapolitan, flanked with a sheaf of wild ostrich plumes. And then the freak left. I watched her spraddle down the aisle and out through the little corridor before I dared risk the accident of a backward turn of that funny green hat. Then, when all was safe, I took a deep breath, gripped hard the arms of the chair, and whirled suddenly around. "Frances!" I whispered. "My darling!" CHAPTER XIV "YOU NEVER SAW ME IN BLACK" "Oh!" she gasped faintly. That was all she said at first, her big blue eyes wide distended, her white-gloved wrists curving above the chair-arms as though to rise. Easy to see she was completely floored at seeing me. And as it was her move, I just sat kind of grinning, you know, and holding her tight with my monocle. Then her mouth twitched a bit; next her head went up and I heard again that delicious birdlike carol of a laugh. Her eyes came to rest upon the hat in my hand. I had slipped my Harvard band around it, remembering the admiration she had expressed for our colors. "Oh!" she said again, and she looked at me hesitatingly. "Mr. Jones, is it not--or is it--" I chuckled. "Mr. Smith, you know," I said. "Mr. Smith, of course." And then I just went on chuckling, for I thought it so devilish clever of her, so humorous. And just then I thought of a dashed good repartee: "Months--so many months, you know, since we met!" And I thought it delightful the way she puckered her lovely little forehead and looked me over. But she just looked so devilish enticing, I couldn't keep it up myself. I leaned nearer and spoke behind my hat, trying to look the love I felt. "Didn't expect to see me, did you?" She looked at me oddly and bit her lip. But her eyes were dancing and the delicious dimple in her cheek twitched on the verge of laughter. She shook her head. "Indeed I did not." And again came that odd look in her face as though she were studying, kind of balking, don't you know. By Jove, she was perfectly dazzling! "My dearest!" slipped softly from me as I held the hat. She stared. Then once more that canary peal of merriment.