t stay.

All that day, Eleanor harbored a dread, which turned toward night to a
relief--dread of the first interview, relief that Bertram had not sent
for her. Kate, waiting her chance, slipped secretly into the room
after Mr. Chester had gone. Bertram was awake. He smiled in a measured
imitation of his old smile when she entered, and extended his
uninjured hand. She did not take it; instead, she patted it with her
cool, long fingers, made to soothe. And considering that the nurse was
watching, she looked a long time into his eyes.

"They sure smashed me up some," he said. "But I'm a-knitting. How did
it happen that they swore you in?"

"I wanted to help!"

"That was being pretty good to little Bertie!" He withdrew his hand to
drop it above hers, and he looked long into her face. "Pretty good to
little Bertie," he repeated, "and now I want you to be better, and not
ask any questions about it. Is Miss Gray--Eleanor--about the house?"

"Yes."

"I thought she might have gone to the ranch. Well, just about
to-morrow, will you get her in here--alone?"

"Are you ready--to be agitated?"

"Now you don't know what I want--or you wouldn't be asking questions.
Will you?"

"Yes, Bertram."

"You mustn't talk any more," spoke the nurse from the corner. And Kate
withdrew.

When, next morning, the two girls met in the hall before breakfast,
Kate repeated the message simply, carelessly. Eleanor found herself
struggling to keep face and color. In spite of her long inner
preparation, the emergency came to her with a sense of surprise. How
should she carry off this interview? Though her respite had been long,
though she had thought much, she had no prepared plan of campaign.
Must she lie for the sake of his bodily health, assume the part which
she had been playing when he went out of life? Even the question how
to get rid of the nurse was a tiny embarrassment.

She mustered her voice to say:

"I think I'll look in now. Invalids are likely to be awake at this
hour of the day."

"Yes, you must be eager!" dabbed Kate.

The nurse was no obstacle. She looked up toward the figure in the
door, said: "A young lady to see you, Mr. Chester," and withdrew.
Eleanor stood alone by the foot of the bed, looking into the eyes of
her problem.

He made no motion. He did not even put out his hand. He regarded her
with the frown which usually broke into a smile. Now, it continued a
frown.

"Well, things happened, didn't they?" he said