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432 She stood an instant longer, then, bending, ran her hand caressingly down a rosy bare leg, while she kissed the boyish red mouth. There had been some reason for touching all of them, the kiss fell on the lips which were like Freckles's. To Elnora she said a tender good-night, whispering brave words of encouragement and making plans to fill the days to come. Then she went away. An hour later there was a light tap on the girl's door. "Come!" she called as she lay staring into the dark. The Angel felt her way to the bedside, sat down and took Elnora's hands. "I just had to come back to you," she said. "I have been telling Freckles, and he is almost hurting himself with laughing. I didn't think it was funny, but he does. He thinks it's the funniest thing that ever happened. He says that to run away from Mr. Ammon, when you had made him no promise at all, when he wasn't sure of you, won't send him home to her; it will set him hunting you! He says if you had combined the wisdom of Solomon, Socrates, and all the rest of the wise men, you couldn't have chosen any course that would have sealed him to you so surely. He feels that now Ammon will perfectly hate her for coming down there and driving you away. And you went to give her the chance she wanted. Oh, Elnora! It is getting funny! I see it, too!" The Angel rocked on the bedside. Elnora faced the dark in silence.