“Do you know, it’s the funniest thing in the world, you are the sixth man who has made love to me on this rock within a year!” and again she laughed in his face. “Look here, Miss Sallie, this is cruel!” “Dear old rock. It’s enchanted. It never fails!” and she laughed softly again, and patted the rock with her hand. “Surely you have tortured me long enough. Have some pity.” “It is a pitiable sight to see a big eloquent man stammer and do silly things isn’t it?” “Please give me your answer,” he cried still trembling. “Oh! it’s not so serious as all that!” she said with dancing eyes. “I’m in the dust at your feet.” “You mean in the sand. Did you know that you dug a hole in that sand deep enough to bury me in? I thought once you were meditating murder by the expression on your face.” “Please give me one earnest look from your eyes,” he pleaded. “You’re a terrible disappointment,” she answered leaning back and putting her hands behind her head thoughtfully. His heart stood still at this unexpected speech. “How?” he slowly asked, looking down at the sand again. “Because,” she said in her old tantalising tone, “I expected so much of you.” “Then you don’t class me with the other poor devils at least?” he asked hopefully. “No, no, they were handsome boys and made me beautiful speeches. But you are distinguished. You are a man that everybody would look at twice in a crowd. You are a famous young orator who can hold thousands breathless with eloquence. I thought you would make me the most beautiful speech. But you acted like a school boy, stammered, looked foolish, and pawed a hole in the ground!” Again she laughed. “I confess, Miss Sallie, I was never so overwhelmed with terror and nervousness by an audience before.” “And just one girl to hear!” “Yes, but she counts more with me than all the other millions, and one kind look from her eyes I would hold dearer at this moment than a conquered world’s applause.” “That’s fine! That’s something like it. Say more!” she cried. His face clouded and he looked earnestly at her. “Come, come, Miss Sallie, this is too cruel. I have torn my heart’s deepest secrets open to you, and tremblingly laid my life at your feet, and you are laughing at me. I have paid you the highest homage one human soul can offer another. Surely I deserve better than this?” “There, you do. Forgive me. I have seen so much shallow love making, I am never quite sure a boy’s in dead earnest.” She spoke now with seriousness. “You cannot doubt my earnestness. I have spoken to you this morning the first words of love that ever passed my lips. One chamber of my soul has always been sacred. It was the throne room of Love, reserved for the One Woman waiting for me somewhere whom I should find. I would not allow an angel to enter it, and I hid it from the face of God. I have opened it this morning. It is yours.” She softly slipped her hand in his, and tremblingly said, while a tear stole down her cheek, “I do love you!”