“And you thought I might kill him?” he asked.

“Yes; that was it.”

“But he deserves to be killed after doing such a contemptible thing.  Why, it is as bad as the Huns would do, and you know what we did to them.”

“But that was war,” Glen reminded.  “If you shot an enemy over there, you were not considered a murderer, and condemned to death, were you?”

“No, certainly not,” Reynolds emphatically replied, as the meaning of the girl’s words dawned upon his mind.  “And so you kept silent for my sake?” he asked.  “Were you afraid that I might do something desperate to Curly, and become a murderer?”

“Yes, I was,” and Glen lifted her shining eyes to his.

“And you really care that much for me?”

“Why shouldn’t I?  Wouldn’t anyone think of a friend, and his welfare?”

Only for an instant did Reynolds hesitate, while his heart beat wildly with hope.  Then he caught the girl’s hands in his, and looked longingly into her eyes.

“Glen, Glen!” he passionately cried, using her Christian name for the first time, “is it possible that you love me?  I wanted to tell you of my love but I was afraid.”

“Why, you did tell me,” Glen whispered, making no effort to free her hands.

“I did!  When?”

“Don’t you remember that night at Glen West when we first sang together?”

“But I didn’t say a word to you about my love.”

“No, but you showed it in your face and manner.  You know what you did.”

“I kissed you; that was it.”

Releasing her hands, he drew the girl close to him, and imprinted a fervent kiss upon her burning lips.

“Glen, Glen!” he murmured.  “You are mine at last.  I know you love me, and are now my very own.  Tell me that you love me.”

In reply, Glen threw her arms around his neck, while tears of joy stole down her cheeks.

“I love you.  I love you,” she whispered.  “Oh, I am so happy!  You will never leave me, will you?”

For some time they stood there, lost to the world around them.  It was the old true story being repeated by that wilderness lake.  It was love made perfect by the union of two young hearts, the flowing together of two souls, the sudden bursting into bloom of the seed of affection, which had been steadily developing for weeks past.

And as they stood there, whispering of things revealed only to true ardent lovers, and their faces aglow with the light of a great and a new-found joy, the atmosphere suddenly changed.  Great clouds had massed on the mountains, and the wind was whipping down the valley, ruffling the surface of the lake.  The air grew cold, and Glen shivered.  Then it was that they first realised the change that had taken place, and they both laughed.  But Glen’s face grew instantly sober.

“What will daddy say?” she breathed.  “We must tell him as soon as he comes home.”