Bought and Paid For; From the Play of George Broadhurst Part 55

"Robert!" she exclaimed.

"There's nothing to be alarmed about," he went on soothingly.

"Everything is all right."

"Tell me," she insisted firmly.

"Well, dear, now please, please don't be worried about it--when I came I thought you had sent for me."

She looked at him as if bewildered. Unable to comprehend she cried wildly:

"You thought I--Then everything is wrong! Everything!"

"No, dear," he replied firmly, "everything is right. You were fighting for a principle. Have you surrendered it?"

"No," she stammered, bewildered.

"You asked for a promise. I gave it and now I repeat it, so that is settled, isn't it?"

"Yes," she faltered.

"You said you wouldn't send for me and you haven't. Have you?"

"No."

"Then don't you see, dear, all along the line you won the victory?"

Jimmie, no longer able to contain himself, gave vent to a loud chuckle. Delighted at this successful outcome of his scheming, he cried gleefully:

"It's more than a victory! It's a landslide!"

Virginia remained silent. She was trying to understand. It was all a mystery. Yet why let it trouble her further? All she knew was that her husband had come for her and that her days of suffering were at an end. What mattered whose the victory so long as her tears were dried and they were reunited? Looking gratefully up at her husband she said gravely:

"You thought the victory was yours, but when you found me claiming it and realized what it meant to me, you hand it to me without a word.

That was a big thing to do!"

"What does anything matter?" he said eagerly. "I love you, you love me and we are together again. That's everything, isn't it?"

"Yes, dear, that's everything," she answered, looking up at him fondly and proudly. "We can go."

"Let's hurry then," he said quickly, as if still afraid that his new-found bride might change her mind.

"Quick, Jimmie--get Virginia's rubbers!" cried f.a.n.n.y.

"Sure," he said, disappearing on the run.

Stafford handed the automobile veil to his sister-in-law.

"You can fix this better than I," he smiled.

While f.a.n.n.y was adjusting the veil, Jimmie re-entered with the rubbers and put them on.

Stafford picked up the fur coat.

"Now for the coat," he said. Putting his hand in his waistcoat pocket, he added with a significant smile:

"By the way, I've something else for you. It's from Tiffany's."

Virginia made a gesture of protest.

"Oh, Robert, didn't I tell you that--"

"Wait! Wait!" he laughed. "You don't know what it is!"

Taking from his pocket the wedding ring which three months before she had returned to him, he held it up and solemnly replaced it on her finger.

"With eternal love," he said gravely.

Taking her gently in his arms, he kissed her.

THE END.