He loved her and he meant to marry her.

Since leaving college he had indulged in several more or less ardent flirtations, but they had ended harmlessly; it was very different with Sylvia! He had realized all that spring that she was becoming increasingly necessary to him; he needed her solace and her inspiration.

He thrust one or two new books on the prevailing social unrest into his suit case and added a box of candy, smiling at the combination.

Sylvia with all her ideals was still so beautifully human.
She was quite capable of nibbling bon-bons to the accompaniment of a vivacious discussion of the sorrows of the world--he had seen her do just that! With her ideals of life and service, she would not be easily won; but he was in the race to win.

Yes, there were things he meant to say to Sylvia, and in the tedious journey through the hot afternoon to Waupegan he formulated them and visualized the situations in which he should utter them.
Dan reached Waupegan at six o'clock and went to one of the little inns at the lakeside near the village.