Felix," said Mrs.
Douglas, smiling at him. "Don't lose any sleep over that."

Felix Bauer slept like a child that night and as his habit was he
wakened early and as he sat up and saw the figure of Elijah Clifford
kneeling out on the sand, the same thought of God's benignant presence
occurred to him which the same sight had roused in him before. Clifford
rose and came in to make the usual preparations for breakfast.

"I have been praying for Ansa. By this time the folks must have got
there if the river is not in flood. We haven't had any runner bring bad
news. I don't know what I'd do if Ansa should be taken. It would just
about break Miss Gray's heart too. She thinks everything of that child.
She says she is going to train her to be a great teacher for her
people."

Bauer expressed his sympathy and asked if there was a good doctor to
come over to the mission from Flagstaff.

"Yes. Or it's possible Doctor West will be there from Raymond. He
sometimes pays us a visit about this time of the year. My! Wouldn't it
be providential if he should come along for Ansa. And he could dissect
you at the same time and like as not find out that your hemorrhages
don't come from your lungs, and that you haven't got consumption any
more than I have. The doctors sometimes make mistakes in their diagnoses
you know. Would you feel bad to learn that you didn't have tuberculosis
after all?"

"I believe I would be able to bear the news if it was broken to me
gently."

"But maybe Miss Helen wouldn't pity you so much, eh?"

"I don't want to be pitied."

Clifford looked up from his fire approvingly at Bauer.

"You're right, my son. Pity from a girl when you want something else
from her is like apple pie minus the apple. It's pretty dry fodder. But
say," Elijah abruptly changed the topic of talk, "What about Walter
Douglas? He's a likely fellow, isn't he? Bound to make his mark, isn't
he?"

Bauer stared a little, not knowing why Clifford was asking the question.

"Yes, Walter is going to surprise everyone with his talents one of these
days."

"And he's a good fellow morally and all that I suppose?"

"He certainly is. I don't know a better. Anyone that has such a mother
as Mrs. Douglas can't help being good."

Clifford was silent while he adjusted various utensils around the fire.

"Yes, Mrs. Douglas is an angel. Mr. Douglas will never have to buy an
aeroplane for her. She's got her own wings. And some day they'll carry
her right