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FLAMING

YOUTH

209

“So may it be with you now.” “You want it to be?” “JT don’t want you to have the pain of missing me as I shall miss you. But I’m afraid you’re going to feel it more than you think.” “Boasting!” she retorted, but there was no conviction in the word. “No; I’m not boasting. But I’ve given you something, Pat, that you haven’t had from your minor flirtations. Much that you won’t readily forget. Nor do I want you te forget it all. But—I want it to drop into the background for you.” “Background? I don’t understand.” “When the real man for you comes along into the foreground of your life——” “You want me to compare him with you?” she broke in quickly. “Perhaps that wouldn’t be quite fair to him. I’ve had more opportunities, more experience of the world than your younger lovers are likely to have had; you can’t expect quite so much of youth in some ways. But before you commit yourself finally, suppose you ask yourself whether you care for the man more than you have at any time for me; if, in case you married him, you would miss

out of your life together certain phases that we have known.” “But of course I shall!” she cried. “What boy do I know that could understand me as you do?” Upon the naive egotism of this he made no comment. “TI haven’t made myself quite clear. Before you decide, go back to our association, go back to all the associations you have had hitherto, and ask if the new one will take the

place of all of them.

If not—don’t.”

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