--I came to--to ask a favour of you."

"'T is but for you to name," replied the man, eagerly.

"Will you let me--I want--I should like Tibbie to see
the--the picture of me, and I wondered if--if you would
let me take it to Trenton--I'll bring it back, you know,
and--"

"Ah, Miss Janice," exclaimed the servant, as the girl halted,
"if you 'd but take it as a gift, 't would pleasure me so!"
While he spoke, without pretence of concealment he unbuttoned
the top button of his shirt and taking hold of a string
about his neck pulled forth a small wooden case, obviously
of pocket-knife manufacture. Snapping the cord, he offered
its pendant to Janice.

"I--I would keep it, Charles," replied Janice, "but you
know mommy told me--"

"And what right has she to prevent you?" broke in Charles,
warmly. "It does her no wrong, nor can it harm you to keep
it. What right have they to tyrannise over you? 'T is all
of a piece with their forcing you to marry that awkward, ignorant
put. Here, take it." The groom seized her hand, put
the case in her palm, closed her fingers over, and held them
thus, as if striving to make her accept the gift.

"Oh, Charles," cried the girl, very much flustered, "you
should n't ask--"