long time, Miss Billie," he exclaimed,
having left the others and run down the path to meet her.

"We had to go to the village first," answered Billie.

"No, no. I mean it has seemed an infernal long time since the 'Comet'
pulled up down there in the road and you lagged behind."

"Not ten minutes."

"I guess it would have seemed long to you if you had been sitting here
since eight A. M. watching every vehicle that passed. Not long ago a big
black car stopped down there and I was pretty sure it had come to fetch
me."

He gave her one of his ingratiating smiles.

"Who was it?" asked Billie.

"I don't know. They saw the doctor for a minute and then went on. But I
don't want to talk about them. Why didn't you hurry?"

"I always heard that sick men were children," laughed Billie, "and I can
see that you are quite ill because you are such a child. We shall take
you home now and feed you up on cream and eggs, providing we can get
any."

Billie was glad to see Dr. Hume again. They clasped hands like old
comrades. There was a peculiar radiance in his brown eyes as he looked
at her.

"You've had a great honor paid you, Miss Billie," he said.

"What in the world?"

"The gods have chosen you to turn their mills a while and you are
turning them pretty fast, I can tell you."

CHAPTER XX.

A LONG SLEEP.

The song of the "Comet's" motor broke the stillness of the afternoon
some ten days later as he cheerfully pushed upward on the Indian Head
road. Mr. Campbell was at the wheel and beside him sat Billie, glancing
up at him from time to time with eyes full of loving devotion. On the
back seat was Phoebe, silently contented beside Richard Hook, and the
other occupant was Alberdina Schoenbachler, that absurd little hat
perched atop her big smiling face.

There had been many days of anxiety and suspense for the people at
Sunrise Camp. It was impossible not to feel deeply interested in the
strange things that were transpiring in the little cabin on Indian Head.
The two young surgeons had arrived; a tent had been pitched alongside
the cabin, and one morning early the operation was performed. Since
that time the patient had lain in a stupor. And now Dr. Hume had sent
Mrs. Lupo, tamed and domestic, to take Alberdina's place at the camp,
and Alberdina was to come at once to the cabin. Mrs. Lupo could give no
reason; that was all the message stated, except that the patient was
doing well.

The doctor went down the