e roused himself to discover that
it was morning and that he felt better than for weeks. When he had
recovered from his surprise he turned his head and saw Mrs. Strange
slumbering in a chair beside his bed; from her uncomfortable position
and evident fatigue he judged that she must have kept a long and
faithful vigil over him.

A little later Paloma, pale and heavy-eyed, stole into the room, and
Dave's cheerful greeting awoke Mrs. Strange with a jerk.

"So! You're feeling better, aren't you," the latter woman cried,
heartily.

"Yes. How did I get here?" Dave asked. "I must have been right sick and
troublesome to you."

Paloma smiled and nodded. "Sick! Why, Dave, you frightened us nearly to
death! You were clear out of your head."

So that was it. The breakdown had come sooner than he expected, and it
had come, moreover, without warning. That was bad--bad! Although Dave's
mind was perfectly clear at this moment, he reasoned with a sinking
heart that another brain-storm might overtake him at any time. He had
imagined that the thing would give a hint of its coming, but evidently
it did not.

Mrs. Strange broke into his frowning meditation to ask, "How long since
you had a night's sleep?"

"I--Oh, it must be weeks."

"Umph! I thought so. You puzzled that pill-roller, but doctors don't
know anything, anyhow. Why, he wanted to wake you up to find out what
ailed you! I threatened to scald him if he did."

"I seem to remember talking a good deal," Dave ventured. "I reckon
I--said a lot of foolish things." He caught the look that passed
between his nurses and its significance distressed him.

Mrs. Strange continued: "That's how we guessed what your trouble was,
and that's why I wouldn't let that fool doctor disturb you. Now that
you've had a sleep and are all right again, I'm going home and change
my clothes. I haven't had them off for two nights."

"Two nights!" Dave stared in bewilderment. Then he lamely apologized
for the trouble he had caused, and tried to thank the women for their
kindness.

He was shaky when, an hour later, he came down-stairs for breakfast;
but otherwise he felt better than for many days; and Blaze's open
delight at seeing did him as much good as the food he ate.

Dave spent the morning sunning himself on the porch, reading the papers
with their exciting news, and speculating over the significance of his
mental collapse. The more he thought of it now the more ominous it
seemed. One resul