"Be back in five minutes," he said; "try not to forget me, my flighty one." When they were in the front room, he said: "Before a license is issued, the licensor must be satisfied as to the preliminaries. Now, then, what can you tell me as to lap sitting and kissings?" "You," cried Lee, in a sudden blaze of indignation, "are the freshest, most objectionable American I ever set eyes on." The stout young man turned appealingly to Renier. "You wouldn't say that," he said; "you'd say I was just typical, wouldn't you, now? And I wish you would tell her that, though in these backwoods I have been obliged to eschew my Chesterfield, I've got a great big heart in me and mean well." During the last words of this speech he became appealingly wistful. "Why," said he to Lee, "just because Minnie and me is stout, don't you think we know heaven when we see it--the empyrean! Yesterday she threw me down, and I says to her: 'Since all my life seems meant for "fails"--since this was written and needs must be--my whole soul rises up to bless your name in pride and thankfulness. Who knows but the world may end to-night?' To-day she sits in my lap and we see which can hug the hardest. Ever try that?" And suddenly the creature's voice melted and shook. He was a genuine orator, as we Americans understand it, having that within his powers of voice that defies logic and melts the heart. "Wouldn't you," he said, "even _like_ to sit in his lap? Wouldn't you _love_ to sit in his lap and be hugged?" Lee looked to Renier for help, as he to her. And they took a step apiece directly toward each other, and another step. It was as if they had been hypnotized. Suddenly Renier caught Lee's hand in his, and after a moment of looking into his eyes she turned to the stout man, and sang in miraculous imitation of him: "Young Miss Mule is a gol-darn fool, But you made her see the water in the gol-darn pool." "I'll just get a license blank," said the stout young man. "They're in the back room." "Thank you," said Renier--"if you will, Mr.----" "Heartbeat!" flashed the stout young man, and left them. And he wasn't lying or making fun that time. For that was his really truly name. And in northern New York people are beginning to think that he is by way of being up to it. Suddenly Lee quoted from a joke that she and Renier had in common. She said, as if surprised: "'Why, there's a table over there!'" And Renier, his voice suddenly breaking and melting, answered: "'Why, so there is--and here's a chair!'" And Mr. Heartbeat, making a supreme effort to live up to his name, did not return with the license blank for nearly eight minutes. During those minutes, Renier resolved that in every room in his home there should be at least one revolving chair. And they came out of Mr. Heartbeat's office no longer boyish companions but lovers, a little startled, engaged, and licensed to be married. XXXII