It happened a long time ago--and everybody's forgotten--and----" His stammering falsehoods died away before her steady look.

"How did you find out ?" "Someone just told me," replied she.

"And they said you'd never respect or marry a girl who had no father.

No--don't deny--please! I didn't believe it--not after what we had said to each other." Sam, red and shifting uneasily, could not even keep his downcast eyes upon the same spot of ground.
"You see," she went on, sweet and grave, "they don't understand what love means--do they ?" "I guess not," muttered he, completely unnerved.
Why, how seriously the girl had taken him and his words--such a few words and not at all definite! No, he decided, it was the kiss.

He had heard of girls so innocent that they thought a kiss meant the same as being married.