He had settled with himself that his declaration should be a frank one--heart to heart.

He had pictured himself in the act of taking her hand delicately, and saying, "Gertrude, I love you.

May I tell you so again ?" But this scheme did not now seem practicable.
"Miss Lindsay." Gertrude, bending over the table, looked up in alarm.
"The present is as good an opportunity as I will--as I shall--as I will." "Shall," said Gertrude.
"I beg your pardon ?" "SHALL," repeated Gertrude.

"Did you ever study the doctrine of necessity ?" "The doctrine of necessity ?" he said, bewildered.
Gertrude went to the other side of the table in pursuit of a ball.

She now guessed what was coming, and was willing that it should come; not because she intended to accept, but because, like other young ladies experienced in such scenes, she counted the proposals of marriage she received as a Red Indian counts the scalps he takes.
"We have had a very pleasant time of it here," he said, giving up as inexplicable the relevance of the doctrine of necessity.