Announce IT? Announce WHAT? "Why, I'm a married woman," she
thought, and she stumbled and almost fell. The way danced before
her eyes, all spotted with black. She was just able to walk
aboard the boat and drop into a seat.

He sat beside her, took her hand and bent over it; as he kissed
it a tear fell on it. He looked at her and she saw that his eyes
were swimming. A sob surged into her throat, but she choked it
back. "Jack!" she murmured, and hid her face in her
handkerchief.

When they looked each at the other both smiled--her foreboding
had retreated to the background. She began to turn the ring
round and round upon her finger.

"Mrs. John Dumont," she said. "Doesn't it sound queer?" And
she gazed dreamily away toward the ranges of hills between which
the river danced and sparkled as it journeyed westward. When she
again became conscious of her immediate surroundings--other than
Dumont--she saw a deck-hand looking at her with a friendly grin.

Instantly she covered the ring with her hand and handkerchief.
"But I mustn't wear it," she said to Dumont.

"No--not on your finger." He laughed and drew from his pocket
a slender gold chain. "But you might wear it on this, round
your neck. It'll help to remind you that you don't belong to
yourself any more, but to me."

She took the chain--she was coloring in a most becoming way--and