wished to tell you how my life is bound up with you, dear, and I
never, never can be happy without you'--when just then there was a
mighty big shove down my bench from the fellows beyond me, who were
trying to get out. But I held on like grim death, and struggled
back again into position, and went on: 'You'll forgive my taking a
chance like this, but I felt I could no longer conceal my love for
you,' when I'm blest if there wasn't another shove, and though I'd
got hold of her little hand and had a kind of squeeze in return, I
was drifted away again and had to fight my way back. But I managed
to finish, and said, 'If the devotion of a lifetime will atone for
this hurried avowal of my love for you, let me hope for a
response,' and just then the infernal lights were turned on, and
there I was holding the widow's hand and she nestling on my
shoulder, and the two girls in hysterics on the other side. You
see, I never knew that they were shoved down on their bench every
time, just as I was, and of course when I got back to where I was
I'd just skipped one of them each time! Yes, sir! I had made that
proposal in THREE sections--a part to each girl, winding up with
the mother! No explanation was possible, and I left Simla next
day. Naturally, it wasn't a thing they could talk about, either!"

"Then you think Mrs. Awksby had nothing to do with it?" I said.

"Nothing--absolutely nothing. By the way, if you see that lady,
you might tell her that I have possession of that brocade easy-
chair which used to stand in the corner of her boudoir. You
remember it,--faded white and yellow, with one of the casters off
and a little frayed at the back, but rather soft-spoken and
amiable? But of course you don't understand THAT. I bought it
after she moved into her new bungalow."