re and open.
Do you understand?"

"You are certainly sufficiently clear."

"No man who is half a man sees the last chance of happiness go out of
his life without putting up the stiffest battle he knows," said the
Harvester grimly. "Ruth-girl, you are raising the fever again. You must
be quiet."

With infinite tenderness he possessed himself of her hands and began
stroking her hair, and in a low and soothing voice the story of the
birds, flowers, lake, and woods went on. To keep it from growing
monotonous the Harvester branched out and put in everything he knew.
In the days that followed he held a position none could take from him.
While the doctors fought the fever, he worked for rest and quiet, and
soothed the tortured body as best he could, that the medicines might
act.

But the fever was stubborn, and the remedies were slow; and long before
the dreaded coming day the doctors and nurse were quietly saying to
each other that when the crisis came the heart would fail. There was no
vitality to sustain life. But they did not dare tell the Harvester.
Day and night he sat beside the maple bed or stretched sleeping a
few minutes on the couch while the Girl slept; and with faith never
faltering and courage unequalled, he warned them to have their remedies
and appliances ready.

"I don't say it's going to be easy," he said. "I just merely state that
it must be done. And I'll also mention that, when the hour comes, the
man who discovers that he could do something if he had digitalis, or a
remedy he should have had ready and has forgotten, that man had better
keep out of my sight. Make your preparations now. Talk the case over.
Fill your hypodermics. Clean your air pumps. Get your hot-water bottles
ready. Have system. Label your stuff large and set it conveniently. You
see what is coming, be prepared!"

One day, while the Girl lay in a half-drugged, feverish sleep, the
Harvester went for a swim. He dressed a little sooner than was expected
and in crossing the living-room he heard Doctor Harmon say to Doctor
Carey on the veranda, "What are we going to do with him when the end
comes?"

The Harvester stepped to the door. "That won't be the question," he said
grimly. "It will be what will HE do with us?"

Then, with an almost imperceptible movement, he caught Doctor Harmon at
the waist line, and lifted and dangled him as a baby, and then stood
him on the floor. "Didn't hardly expect that much muscle, did you?" he
inquire