But I’ve got to be back home by eleven. Ma never lets mestay out after eleven.”
Carter promised gratefully to keep the tryst， and thenhastened to his mother， who was looking about for him toratify her purchase of a bronze Diana.
A salesgirl， with small eyes and an obtuse nose， strollednear Masie， with a friendly leer.
“Did you make a hit with his nobs， Mase？” she asked，familiarly.
“The gentleman asked permission to call，” answeredMasie， with the grand air， as she slipped Carter’s card intothe bosom of her waist.
“Permission to call！” echoed small eyes， with a snigger.
“Did he say anything about dinner in the Waldorf and aspin in his auto afterward？”
“Oh， cheese it！” said Masie， wearily. “You’ve been used toswell things， I don’t think. You’ve had a swelled head eversince that hose-cart driver took you out to a chop sueyjoint. No， he never mentioned the Waldorf； but there’sa Fifth Avenue address on his card， and if he buys thesupper you can bet your life there won’t be no pigtail onthe waiter what takes the order.”
As Carter glided away from the Biggest Store withhis mother in his electric runabout， he bit his lip witha dull pain at his heart. He knew that love had come tohim for the first time in all the twenty-nine years of hislife. And that the object of it should make so readily anappointment with him at a street corner， though it was astep toward his desires， tortured him with misgivings.
Carter did not know the shopgirl. He did not know thather home is often either a scarcely habitable tiny roomor a domicile filled to overflowing with kith and kin. Thestreet-corner is her parlor， the park is her drawing-room；the avenue is her garden walk； yet for the most part she isas inviolate mistress of herself in them as is my lady insideher tapestried chamber.
One evening at dusk， two weeks after their first meeting，Carter and Masie strolled arm-in-arm into a little， dimlylitpark. They found a bench， tree-shadowed and secluded，and sat there.
For the first time his arm stole gently around her. Hergolden-bronze head slid restfully against his shoulder.
“Gee！” sighed Masie， thankfully. “Why didn’t you everthink of that before？”
“Masie，” said Carter， earnestly， “you surely know that Ilove you. I ask you sincerely to marry me. You know mewell enough by this time to have no doubts of me. I wantyou， and I must have you. I care nothing for the differencein our stations.”
“What is the difference？” asked Masie， curiously.
“Well， there isn’t any，” said Carter， quickly， “except in theminds of foolish people. It is in my power to give you alife of luxury. My social position is beyond dispute， and mymeans are ample.”
“They all say that，” remarked Masie. “It’s the kid theyall give you. I suppose you really work in a delicatessen orfollow the races. I ain’t as green as I look.”
“I can furnish you all the proofs you want，” said Carter，gently. “And I want you， Masie. I loved you the first day Isaw you.”
“They all do，” said Masie， with an amused laugh， “to hear’em talk. If I could meet a man that got stuck on me thethird time he’d seen me I think I’d get mashed on him.”
“Please don’t say such things，” pleaded Carter. “Listen tome， dear. Ever since I first looked into your eyes you havebeen the only woman in the world for me.”
“Oh， ain’t you the kidder！” smiled Masie. “How manyother girls did you ever tell that？”
But Carter persisted. And at length he reached the flimsy，fluttering little soul of the shopgirl that existed somewheredeep down in her lovely bosom. His words penetrated theheart whose very lightness was its safest armor. She lookedup at him with eyes that saw. And a warm glow visited hercool cheeks. Tremblingly， awfully， her moth wings closed，and she seemed about to settle upon the flower of love.
Some faint glimmer of life and its possibilities on theother side of her glove counter dawned upon her. Carterfelt the change and crowded the opportunity.
“Marry me， Masie，” he whispered softly， “and we will goaway from this ugly city to beautiful ones. We will forgetwork and business， and life will be one long holiday. Iknow where I should take you—I have been there often.
Just think of a shore where summer is eternal， where thewaves are always rippling on the lovely beach and thepeople are happy and free as children. We will sail to thoseshores and remain there as long as you please. In one ofthose far-away cities there are grand and lovely palaces andtowers full of beautiful pictures and statues. The streets ofthe city are water， and one travels about in—”
“I know，” said Masie， sitting up suddenly. “Gondolas.”
“Yes，” smiled Carter.
“I thought so，” said Masie.
“And then，” continued Carter， “we will travel on and seewhatever we wish in the world. After the European citieswe will visit India and the ancient cities there， and ride onelephants and see the wonderful temples of the Hindoosand Brahmins and the Japanese gardens and the cameltrains and chariot races in Persia， and all the queer sightsof foreign countries. Don’t you think you would like it，Masie？”
Masie rose to her feet.
“I think we had better be going home，” she said， coolly.
“It’s getting late.”
Carter humored her. He had come to know her varying，thistle-down moods， and that it was useless to combatthem. But he felt a certain happy triumph. He had heldfor a moment， though but by a silken thread， the soul ofhis wild Psyche， and hope was stronger within him. Onceshe had folded her wings and her cool hand had closedabout his own.
At the Biggest Store the next day Masie’s chum， Lulu，waylaid her in an angle of the counter.
“How are you and your swell friend making it？” sheasked.
“Oh， him？” said Masie， patting her side curls. “He ain’tin it any more. Say， Lu， what do you think that fellowwanted me to do？”
“Go on the stage？” guessed Lulu， breathlessly.
“Nit； he’s too cheap a guy for that. He wanted me tomarry him and go down to Coney Island for a weddingtour！”