he will do all he can for me, but I fancy that a word from you would help a lot, Miss Holly. Don’t you think you could tell your aunt that I am a very respectable sort of a fellow, one who has never been known to give any trouble? I have been with some of the best families and I can give references from my last place, if necessary.”

[122]

“I reckon you don’t know Aunt India,” laughed Holly. “If she says you can’t stay, you can’t, and it wouldn’t do a mite of good if I talked myself black in the face.”

Holly turned toward the house and he followed.

“You think, then,” he asked, “that there’s nothing more we can do to influence Fate in my behalf?”

Holly ran lightly up the steps, tossed the flowers in a heap on the porch, and sat down with her back against a pillar. Then[123] she pointed to the opposite side of the steps.

[123]

“Sit down there,” she commanded.

Winthrop bowed and obeyed. Holly clasped her hands about her knees, and looked across at him with merry eyes.

“Mr. Winthrop.”

“Madam?”

“What will you give me if I let you stay?”

“Pardon my incredulity,” replied Winthrop, “but is your permission all that is necessary?”

Holly nodded her head many times.

“If I say you can stay, you can,” she said, decisively.

“Then in exchange for your permission I will give you half my kingdom,” answered Winthrop, gravely.

“Oh, I don’t think I could use half a kingdom. It would be like owning half a horse, wouldn’t it? Supposing I wanted my half to go and the other half wouldn’t?”

“Then take it all.”

[124]

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