Page:The traitor; a story of the fall of the invisible empire (IA traitorstoryoffa00dixo).pdf/226

 triumph which lighted her face and quivered through her form.

"I meant to find a seat on the lawn to-night, but it's going to rain."

"Yes, I ran, to get here first," he cried with boyish enthusiasm—"It's raining now, but the old davenport under the stairs is cosey on a rainy night."

She looked at the panel door and hesitated.

"You're not afraid of ghosts from below I hope?" he laughed.

"No, I've locked the iron door," she announced soberly, taking her seat by his side.

With a vivid flash of lightning followed by a crash of thunder the storm broke, the big raindrops mixed with hail rattling furiously against the windows.

Stella nestled closer to his side, and John turned his swarthy, eager face toward her.

"Now, while the storm roars," he whispered, "and shuts out the world, drawing us closer together—so close I feel that there is no world beyond the touch of your hand and the music of your voice—won't you tell me what my heart is starving to hear?"

"Do you realise what it means for a girl to say to a man, 'I love you'?" she asked slowly.

"I do," was the quick answer.