Page:The leopard's spots - a romance of the white man's burden-1865-1900 (IA leopardsspotsrom00dixo).pdf/458

 gallows. I can not help it. I do not wish to help it. I will follow you to the bottomless pit or to the throne of God and say it without fear to devil or angel. Kiss me again!—There, do not cry—let me see your beautiful brown eyes. I'll kiss the tears away. Tears are for my eyes not yours!"

"Then you will fix the day, dear?" he softly urged.

"How soon would you like it?"

"The sooner the better."

"Then I fix to-day," she said impulsively.

"What, here, in this jail?"

"Yes, where you are is heaven to me. I haven't noticed the jail," she said soberly.

He looked at her a moment, strained her to his heart and brushed the tears of joy from his eyes.

"My beautiful queen! This hour is worth every pain and every throb of anguish I have suffered. Its memory will encompass life with a great light."

"I'll go with Stella, see Dr. Durham who is here looking after your case, have him get the license, and we will be back in half an hour!"

The Preacher greeted her with delight. "Ah! Miss Sallie, if I had known a little thing like this would have brought you back, I would have hired a jail for him long ago, and put him in it."

"Doctor, I want you to get the license and marry us now, will you do it?"

"Will I? Just watch me. I'll have the documents and be ready for the ceremony in fifteen minutes!" cried the preacher as he hurried to the office of the Register of Deeds.

Sallie ran up to Mrs. Durham's room, told her, and asked her to be one of the witnesses.

"Of course, I will, Sallie. You are the one girl in the world I have always wanted Charlie to marry."