“Tell her anything, but to-night, if you want her, is your chance. She has more lovers stringing here after boats than you can count upon your fingers and toes.” Tom stood up with a great resolution. “I’ll tell her now,” said he slowly. He went out of the house and stood in the sunlit porch. Just behind the great hill beyond he could see the last of the sun sinking to rest. His heart beat with foolish excitement, for he feared this girl could not love him as he did her. “Halloa, Tom,” shouted she. “Oh, I’m so glad you are home. What makes you look so grave? Oh,” and the girl did not wait for the man’s answer, “I have had such a daring time. Where do you think I’ve been, way down to Hell Gate, and almost went into the rapids.” By this time she had placed her oars into the boat and clasped the chain firmly in its staple. The man’s face grew white as he heard these words. “My heavens, Nellie, you must not go to such dangerous parts of the river. You might have been killed.” “Would you have cared very much, Tom?” said Nellie, stopping and holding her hands out; “I want my dear ones to care very much.” The man’s answer for an instant was to crush the white hands in his and draw the girl close to him. “Would I care, Helen Standish?” cried he, leading her into the house. “More than I can tell you. Let’s have our supper, and then I’ve got a story to tell you.” “One of your fairy stories, Tom?” laughed the girl. “I always liked them when I was a little girl, and what a wilful child I was, wasn’t I?” “You were a sweet child, Nellie,” said Tom, “and now Biddy is calling saying that her biscuits will be cold if we don’t go to supper.” The meal was hardly over before Nellie broke out: “What makes you people so awfully quiet to-night? Is it your fairy story, Cousin Tom?” “Yes, it’s the story he’s got to tell you, Nellie,” commented Biddy. “Tom is one of those chaps who wants to think a long time before he leaps.” “But I’m ready to leap now, Biddy,” replied Tom appealingly, “and I cannot have more than----” “Oh, all right, I’ll go,” replied Biddy, with her head up very high, “but I’m coming in when you takes the leap. It’ll take you an hour to get ready.” But Tom was not listening to Biddy’s chatter. He was looking deep into Nellie’s eyes, and the girl felt in her heart that something was coming, that there would be a change in her life after to-day. She bowed her head upon Tom’s hands as she saw the color creep into his face and mount high to his forehead. CHAPTER VIII. For a long time there could be nothing heard but the ticking of the clock, and the loud breathing of Nellie’s pet cat, in whose soft fur the girl had entwined her fingers. The other hand was enclosed in Tom’s. “I am not your cousin, Nellie,” he said deliberately after a while. “Not my cousin? Then who are you, and who am I?” This startled exclamation brought the tears to the man’s eyes.