Page:The leopard's spots - a romance of the white man's burden-1865-1900 (IA leopardsspotsrom00dixo).pdf/312



HY didn't you ask him yesterday?" cried Sallie, as she entered the parlour the next morning.

"Darling, I was scared out of my wits. We got crossways on some questions we were discussing, and he snorted at me once, and every time I tried to screw up my courage to speak, a lump got in my throat and I gave it up. I thought I'd wait a day or two until he should be in a better humour."

"He's gone away to-day," she said with disappointment.

"I'm glad of it, I'll write him a letter."

"If you had asked him yesterday it would have been all right. He told me so when he left this morning, with a very tender tremor in his voice."

"But it will be all right, sweetheart, when I write."

"I wanted my ring," she whispered.

"You shall have it," he said, as he seized her hand and led her to a seat.

"Have you got it with you?" she asked with excitement. "Let me see it quick."

He drew the little box from his pocket, withdrew the ring, concealing it in his hand, slipped it on her finger and kissed it. She threw her hand up into the light to see it.

"Oh! it is glorious! It's the big green diamond Hid-