coughing depressed him, his appetite nagged, and his sleep was broken.
Clover felt that he must have a change, and consulted Dr. Hope, who
advised their going to the Ute Valley for a month.

This involved giving up their rooms at Mrs. Marsh's, which was a pity, as
it was by no means certain that they would be able to get them again
later. Clover regretted this; but Fate, as Fate often does, brought a
compensation. Mrs. Watson had no mind whatever for the Ute Valley.

"It's a dull place, they tell me, and there's nothing to do there but ride
on horseback, and as I don't ride on horseback, I really don't see what
use there would be in my going," she said to Clover. "If I were young, and
there were young men ready to ride with me all the time, it would be
different; though Ellen never did care to, except with Henry of course,
after they--And I really can't see that your brother's much different from
what he was, though if Dr. Hope says so, naturally you--He's a queer kind
of doctor, it seems to me, to send lung patients up higher than
this,--which is high already, gracious knows. No; if you decide to go, I
shall just move over to the Shoshone for the rest of the time that I'm
here. I'm sure that Dr. Carr couldn't expect me to stay on here alone,
just for the chance that you may want to come back, when as like as not,
Mrs. Marsh won't be able to take you again."

"Oh, no; I'm quite sure he wouldn't. Only I thought," doubtfully, "that as
you've always admired Phil's room so much, you might like to secure it now
that we have to go."

"Well, yes. If you were to be here, I might. If that man who's so sick had
got better, or gone away, or something, I dare say I should have settled
down in his room and been comfortable enough. But he seems just about as
he was when we came, so there's no use waiting; and I'd rather go to the
Shoshone anyway. I always said it was a mistake that we didn't go there in
the first place. It was Dr. Hope's doing, and I have not the least
confidence in him. He hasn't osculated me once since I came."

"Hasn't he?" said Clover, feeling her voice tremble, and perfectly aware
of the shaking of Phil's shoulders behind her.

"No; and I don't call just putting his ear to my chest, listening. Dr.
Bangs, at home, would be ashamed to come to the house without his
stethoscope. I mean to move this afternoon. I've given Mrs. Marsh
notice."

So Mrs. Watson and her belongings went to the Shoshone, and Clover pa