r hours they talked, Bone desperately striving to make his dreams
articulate to Carl--and to himself. They ate fish fried on the
powder-can stove, with half-warm coffee. They walked a few steps
outside the shack in the ringing cold, to stretch stiff legs. Carl saw
a world of unuttered freedom and beauty forthshadowed in Bone's cloudy
speech. But he was melancholy. For he was going to give up his
citizenship in wonderland for Gertie Cowles.

* * * * *

Gertie continued to enjoy ill health for another week. Every evening
Carl walked past her house, hoping that he might see her at a window,
longing to dare to call. Each night he pictured rescuing her from
things--rescuing her from fire, from drowning, from evil men. He felt
himself the more bound to her by the social recognition of having his
name in the _Joralemon Dynamite_, the following Thursday:

One of the pleasantest affairs of the holiday season among
the younger set was held last Friday evening, when Gertrude
Cowles entertained a number of her young friends at a party
at her mother's handsome residence on Maple Hill. Among
those present were Mesdames Benner and Rusk, who came in for
a brief time to assist in the jollities of the evening,
Misses Benner, Carson, Wesselius, Madlund, Ripka, Smith,
Lansing, and Brick; and Messrs. Ray Cowles, his classmate
Howard Griffin, who is spending his vacation here from Plato
College, Carl Ericson, Joseph Jordan, Irving Lamb, Benjamin
Rusk, Nels Thorsten, Peter Schoenhof, and William T. Upham.
After dancing and games, which were thoroughly enjoyed by
all present, and a social hour spent in discussing the
events of the season in J. H. S., a most delicious repast
was served and the party adjourned, one and all voting that
they had been royally entertained.

The glory was the greater because at least seven names had been
omitted from the list of guests. Such social recognition satisfied
Carl--for half an hour. Possibly it nerved him finally to call on
Gertie.

Since for a week he had been dreading a chilly reception when he
should call, he was immeasurably surprised when he did call and got
what he expected. He had not expected the fates to be so treacherous
as to treat him as he expected, after he had disarmed them by
expecting it.

When he rang the bell he was an immensely grown-up lawyer (though he
couldn't get h