"Kitty fully expects them to return an engaged couple." "Oh, I do hope they will!" cried Nan, bubbling up with the instantaneous feminine excitement which generally obtains when a love-affair, after seeming to hang fire, at last culminates in a _bona fide_ engagement.

"Penny has kept him off so firmly all this time," she continued.

"I can't think why, because it's perfectly patent to everybody that they're head over ears in love with each other." Barry, who could have hazarded a very fair idea as to the reason why from odd scraps of information on the subject elicited from his wife, was silent a moment.

Finally he said slowly: "I shouldn't ask Penelope anything about it when she comes in, if I were you.

If matters aren't quite settled between them yet, it might upset everything again." Nan paused outside the door of her bedroom.
"But, my dear old Barry, what on earth is there to upset?
There's no earthly obstacle to their marrying that I can see!" As she spoke she felt a sudden little qualm of apprehension.