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me. That is, I mean no offense. I know I’m not in any way fit fer ya, only I’d like ta take care of ya ef you’d let me. And somehow I thought ef you wouldn’t mind we ud get married, an’ then I cud see ya didn’t have things so hard. I got a real good business going now, an’ I cud afford ta hire help an’ you wouldn’t havta work. And I’d take real good care of ya an’ see ya had things just as ya wanted ’em, as far as I was able, an’ ya wouldn’t need ta have anything more ta do with me than ya wanted. I’d try not ta stick around too much, ya know. But I’d be powerful proud of ya—I know I’m not in your class—”
    He lifted miserable, shamed eyes to her white face now, as if to implore her not to think too ill of him, and suddenly she bowed her head in her cold hands and began to laugh and cry together, her whole body trembling and shaking with her mirthful sobs.
    Johnny stood across the room, twirling his hat, his own face gone white now, his honest, blue eyes filled with distress, his soul racked with compunction. He longed to do something to comfort her, yet he would not lay so much as one of his strong, rough fingers on her sweet bowed head.
    In a moment more she had control of herself and lifted her face, wet with tears, yet a smile trembled through.
    “Oh, Johnny,
dear!”
she said earnestly. “Please forgive me! I wasn’t laughing at you, I’m just all upset; and I do appreciate your great offer. It’s the biggest thing a man could do for a woman. And it’s beautiful, what you have said to me. I’ll never forget it! But, Johnny, you and I are
friends
, not lovers. There’s no question of marrying between us.”
    “Oh, I know I’m not of your class—!” he broke forth again in a troubled voice.
    “No, Johnny, it’s not a matter of class between us. It’s just that God hasn’t put us into that relationship to each other, Johnny.” She looked at him keenly. “Whenever did such a thing come into your head? You never had such an idea before, did you?”
    “Well, no,” said Johnny, getting red again. “I—I…just thought of it this morning. I thought I was well fixed—And I thought I’d like ta make things easy fer ya—”
    “Johnny, has Mrs. Brisbane been into the store this morning? Has she been talking to you about me?”
    Johnny’s honest eyes met hers and then dropped sheepishly.
    “Well, yes,” he owned uncomfortably. “She was in. She did mention ya, but I—”
    Amorelle was suddenly seized with that uncontrollable desire to laugh and cry again, but she mastered it.
    “Now look here, Johnny,” she said earnestly. “You’re my friend and I want to keep you so, and you’ve got to help me. Mrs. Brisbane was over here this morning suggesting all sorts of wild things to me, even suggesting different people in the town I could marry. And I was simply furious at her, but I never dreamed she’d go out and tell the people! Oh, Johnny, I’m so ashamed and troubled! Johnny, I don’t
want
to get married! I don’t want to marry
anyone
. I’m going out West to live with my uncle’s family, and I want to get away from here quietly and decently and not have people talking about me. Won’t you help me, Johnny? Won’t you help me to put down such ideas and go away like any quiet, decent person? I can’t marry you, Johnny, and I hope you won’t feel bad. I’m sure you’ll be glad someday I said no. But I do want your help. Won’t you help me? Won’t you be like a good, friendly brother to me?”
    “I sure will!” said Johnny earnestly. “What could I do? How should I go about it?”
    Amorelle looked wildly around her and, through the open doorway, caught a glimpse of her father’s bookcase in the library opposite.
    “Well, if you could help me get a few things packed and moved, I’d be so grateful. I want to get Father’s books put away in boxes and some of my precious things moved away to the house of a friend, over near the Glen, who is going to