'Don't
you know you'll lose the mine if----'
'Hang the mine!' he cried, flinging his wrist free, and clasping her to
him before she could step back or move from her place. 'There is
something more important than mines or money.'
The parasol broke with a sharp snap, and the girl murmured 'Oh!' but the
murmur was faint.
'Never mind the parasol,' he said, pulling it from between them and
tossing it aside; 'I'll get you another.'
'Reckless man!' she gasped; 'you little know how much it cost, and I
think, you know, I ought to have been consulted--in an--in an--affair of
this kind--George.'
'There was no time. I acted upon your own advice--promptly. You are not
angry, Jennie, my dear girl, are you?'
'I suppose I'm not, though I think I ought to be; especially as I know
only too well that I held my heart in my hand the whole time, almost
offering it to you. I hope you won't treat it as you have treated the
sunshade.'
He kissed her for answer.
'You see,' she said, putting his necktie straight, 'I liked you from the
very first, far more than I knew at the time. If you--I'm not trying to
justify myself, you know--but if you had, well, just coaxed me a little
yourself, I would never have sent that cable message. You seemed to give
up everything, and you sent Kenyon to me, and that made me angry. I
expected you to come back to me, but you never came.'
'I was a stupid fool. I always am when I get a fair chance.'
'Oh no, you're not, but you do need someone to take care of you.
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