Page:Hard-pan; a story of bonanza fortunes (IA hardpanbonanza00bonnrich).pdf/121

Rh "I don't know; maybe I 've never felt so."

"Oh, what nonsense!" she cried, looking at him reproachfully. "You, who have always had just what you wanted! I used to be afraid of you at first. It seemed rather awful to know anybody who 'd always had things go exactly their way."

He ignored the remark and said:

"What 's making you happy? Tell it to me, and then perhaps I 'll get a little reflection of it."

"I don't know that it 's any one especial thing. Happiness comes when lots of little things fit nicely together. I never had one big thing in a lump to make me happy. I tell you what 's doing a good deal toward it. Father and I are"—she made an instant's pause and then said—"doing so much better; financially, I mean. It 's such a relief! You don't know."

He turned and looked at her and met her eyes. They looked rather abashed, and then fell away from the scrutiny of his.

"You don't think it queer of me to tell you that, do you?" she asked. "I tell you a good many things I would n't say to other people."

"I am proud that you should have such confidence in me."

"Well," she continued, with a quick sigh of relief, "we 've been lately—that is, just about when we first knew you, and before that