through the grove. Then he walked more slowly, suddenly
lost his fine flow of language, and, now and then, a dreadful
pause occurred. To rescue the conversation from one of the
wells of silence into which it kept falling, Jo said hastily, --

"Now you must have a good long holiday!"

"I intend to."

Something in his resolute tone made Jo look up quickly to
find him looking down at her with an expression that assured
her the dreaded moment had come, and made her put out her
hand with an imploring, --

"No, Teddy, please don't!"

"I will, and you must hear me. It 's no use, Jo; we've got
to have it out, and the sooner the better for both of us," he
answered, getting flushed and excited all at once.

"Say what you like then; I 'll listen," said Jo, with a desperate
sort of patience.

Laurie was a young lover, but he was in earnest, and meant
to "have it out," if he died in the attempt; so he plunged into
the subject with characteristic impetuosity, saying in a voice
that would get choky now and then, in spite of manful efforts to
keep it steady, --

"I 've loved you ever since I 've known you, Jo; couldn't
help it, you 've been so good to me. I 've tried to show it, but
you wouldn't let me; now I 'm going to make you hear, and
give me an answer, for I can't go on so any longer."

"I wanted to save you this! I thought you 'd understand --"
began Jo, finding it a great deal harder than she expected.

"I know you did; but girls are so queer you never know
what they mean. They say No when they mean Yes, and drive
a man out of his wits just for the fun of it," returned Laurie,
entrenching himself behind an undeniable fact.

"I don't. I never wanted to make you care for me so, and
I went away to keep you from it if I could."

"I thought so; it was like you, but it was no use. I only
loved you all the more, and I worked hard to please you, and
I gave up billiards and everything you didn't like, and waited

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