"Whoop!" he shouted, as he seized her in his arms and rained kisses upon
her face. Then he held her off and looked into her eyes for a moment.
Then he gave another whoop, kissed her, released her and did a wild
dance about the room. She stood beside the big chair, equally as
excited, laughing unrestrainedly at his hilarity. At last he brought up
at the other side of the chair.

"But where could--I mean, shall we elope to?" she finally asked.

"Anywhere. Bombay--Australia? Let's make it a stunner, dear--let's do it
up right."

"And be married away over there? Oh, Hugh!"

"Certainly. They can marry us over there as well as anywhere. Here,
I'll write the names of ten places and we'll draw one from my hat." He
sat down before a table and feverishly wrote upon the backs of a number
of his calling cards the names of as many cities, his companion looking
over his shoulder eagerly. Without ado he tossed the cards into a
jardinière in lieu of a hat. "Draw!" he said tragically.

"Wait a minute, Hugh. What have we to elope from? There isn't the
faintest objection in the world to our marriage."

"There you go--backing out!"

"No; I'm just as willing as you, but doesn't it seem rather absurd?" Her
hand hung over the jardinière irresolutely.