He heard a slight noise behind him, and, wheeling-swiftly, discovered Helen creeping toward the paper, her hand already outstretched. With one quick movement he snatched it from the floor, and forced himself to hold it aloft and laugh a little. He might have spared himself all that finesse, for she ran to him, clinging to his arm, laughing, coaxing, pouting, begging him to give it to her-unread! "Rob, you'll break my heart if you read that.

Please not now-later perhaps-some day I will explain; please, dear!" "If the contents of this paper are sufficiently serious to break your heart if I do read it, perhaps mine will be broken if I don't. So, as a measure of self-preservation--" He put the piece of note paper into his pocket. His face was white, his pulse was galloping like mad, and yet he managed a rather ghastly smile into her face, upraised and pleading.