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"Oh, indeed!" Mrs Herndon's expression was noncommittal, while her

eyes surveyed the lieutenant

"With your permission, of course," he said

"I hardly think I have any need to interfere"

They separated, the younger people walking slowly, silently toward the

door He held her ar a few commonplaces, to which she scarcely returned even

lances at

his grave face Both realized that so,

yet neither was quite prepared to force the issue

"I have no wraps at the hotel," she said, as he attempted to turn that

way "That was a lie also; let us walk directly down the road"

He indulged in no co in

her upturned face Suddenly there ca; he could feel the slight trelanced furtively at her, only to catch the glitter of a

falling tear To her evident distress, his heart made instant and

sy the action, his

hand closed warirl," he said, forgetting the shortness of their acquaintance