Page:Stewart Edward White--The Rose Dawn.djvu/372

360 clear. It was as if Dolman had really spoken; as I used to think he did when I was a little girl." She grasped his arm. "Godpapa, do you believe it could really be?"

The old man merely smiled and put his arm around her. Daphne knit her brows for a moment, then went on.

"The partner I meant is Kenneth. He has enough money from his mother's estate; and he wants to put it in the ranch, but he is afraid you might misunderstand."

At the mention of the name the Colonel stirred uneasily. His confidence in Kenneth personally was absolute; but who could tell what was in the background? He voiced his thought: a little apologetically.

"I knew you must feel that way, " said Daphne; "so did Kenneth. That is why I was so doubtful of what was told me last night. But what you have just told me makes it so plain. Ken loves Corona del Monte almost as much as you and I do; he would not for worlds do a thing of which you did not approve. And as for your second objection, that you want it to come to me as a whole—why, Ken and I were married this morning!"

She sprang to her feet in an uncontrollable burst of released excitement, pirouetted across the lawn in an abandon of joyous motion, and ended with a low curtsey before the astounded Colonel, skirts outheld in the tips of her fingers.

"Hurrah for Dolman! Good old Dolman!" she cried; and cast herself in her impetuous steam-roller fashion on the Colonel. "Oh, isn't it wonderful!"

But the Colonel had recovered from his first astonishment.

"Stop it! Sit up here and explain yourself!" he cried in mock vexation. "What do you mean?"

"Ken and I got married this morning," said Daphne from his shoulder, "and I didn't know why I did it that way; and now I know; and I do believe in Dolman; and he's a darling; and so are you, and aren't we all going to be happy now forever and ever, amen!"

The Colonel gave her a shake.

"Explain yourself!" he repeated, severely. "What do you mean getting married in that hasty fashion? Why did you do it? How could you, without letting me know?"