You forgot, I suppose, that he and I were appointed on the Ticket Committee for this very dance?"He had forgotten it entirely.Now he remembered perfectly the meeting of the French Relief Society at which the appointment had been made.In fact Helen herself had told him of it at the time.
For the moment he was staggered, but he rallied promptly.
"Committee meetings may do as an excuse for some things," he said, "but they don't explain the rest--his calls here every other evening and--and so on.Honest now, Helen, you know he hasn't been running after you in this way just because he is on that committee with you; now don't you?"They were almost at the parsonage.The light from Mr.Kendall's study window shone through the leaves of the lilac bush behind the white fence.Helen started to speak, but hesitated.He repeated his question.
"Now don't you?" he urged.
"Why, why, yes, I suppose I do," she said, slowly."I do know--now.But I didn't even think of such a thing until--until you came that evening and told me what Issy Price said.""You mean you didn't guess at all?"
"Well--well, perhaps I--I thought he liked to come--liked to-- Oh, what is the use of being silly! I did think he liked to call, but only as a friend.He was jolly and lots of fun and we were both fond of music.I enjoyed his company.I never dreamed that there was anything more than that until you came and were so--disagreeable.
And even then I didn't believe--until to-night."Again she hesitated."To-night?" he repeated."What happened to-night?"
"Oh nothing.I can't tell you.Oh, why can't friends be friends and not....That is why I spoke to you, Albert, why I wanted to have this talk with you.I was going away so soon and I couldn't bear to go with any unfriendliness between us.There mustn't be.
Don't you see?"
He heard but a part of this.The memory of Raymond's face as he had seen it when the young man strode out of the cloakroom and out of the hotel came back to him and with it a great heart-throbbing sense of relief, of triumph.He seized her hand.
"Helen," he cried, "did he--did you tell him-- Oh, by George, Helen, you're the most wonderful girl in the world! I'm--I-- Oh, Helen, you know I--I--"It was not his habit to be at a loss for words, but he was just then.He tried to retain her hand, to put his arm about her.
"Oh, Helen!" he cried."You're wonderful! You're splendid! I'm crazy about you! I really am! I--"She pushed him gently away."Don't! Please don't!" she said.
"Oh, don't!"
"But I must.Don't you see I....Why, you're crying!"Her face had, for a moment, been upturned.The moon at that moment had slipped behind a cloud, but the lamplight from the window had shown him the tears in her eyes.He was amazed.He could have shouted, have laughed aloud from joy or triumphant exultation just then, but to weep! What occasion was there for tears, except on Ed Raymond's part?
"You're crying!" he repeated."Why, Helen--!""Don't!" she said, again."Oh, don't! Please don't talk that way.""But don't you want me to, Helen? I--I want you to know how Ifeel.You don't understand.I--"
"Hush!...Don't, Al, don't, please.Don't talk in that way.Idon't want you to."
"But why not?"
"Oh, because I don't.It's--it is foolish.You're only a boy, you know.""A boy! I'm more than a year older than you are.""Are you? Why yes, I suppose you are, really.But that doesn't make any difference.I guess girls are older than boys when they are our age, lots older.""Oh, bother all that! We aren't kids, either of us.I want you to listen.You don't understand what I'm trying to say.""Yes, I do.But I'm sure you don't.You are glad because you have found you have no reason to be jealous of Ed Raymond and that makes you say--foolish things.But I'm not going to have our friendship spoiled in that way.I want us to be real friends, always.So you mustn't be silly.""I'm not silly.Helen, if you won't listen to anything else, will you listen to this? Will you promise me that while you are away you won't have other fellows calling on you or--or anything like that? And I'll promise you that I'll have nothing to say to another girl--in any way that counts, I mean.Shall we promise each other that, Helen? Come!"She paused for some moment before answering, but her reply, when it came, was firm.
"No," she said, "I don't think we should promise anything, except to remain friends.You might promise and then be sorry, later.""_I_ might? How about you?"
"Perhaps we both might.So we won't take the risk.You may come and see me to-morrow evening and say good-by, if you like.But you mustn't stay long.It is my last night with father for some time and I mustn't cheat him out of it.Good night, Albert.I'm so glad our misunderstanding is over, aren't you?""Of course I am.But, Helen--"
"I must go in now.Good night."
The reflections of Alberto Speranza during his walk back to the Snow place were varied but wonderful.He thought of Raymond's humiliation and gloried in it.He thought of Helen and rhapsodized.
And if, occasionally, he thought also of the dance and of Madeline Fosdick, forgive him.He was barely twenty-one and the moon was shining.
