e."

She had fought this madman, she and this rheumatic old woman, while he
had slept! She had called to him and he had not answered! The blood
went hot to his cheeks. It was enough to make a man feel craven.

The wounded girl rested her bandaged head on the back of the chair. At
the light in Donaldson's eyes, Marie straightened herself aggressively.

"Are you badly hurt?" he asked quietly.

"Only a bump," she laughed, remembering how he had stood by the ladder.
"Marie insisted upon this," she added, lightly touching the cloth about
her forehead.

"A bump?" snorted Marie. "It is a miracle that she was not altogether
killed. She--"

But a hand upon the old servant's arm checked her indignation.

"You two women cannot remain here any longer alone," he said
authoritatively. "Either you must allow me to take you to the shelter
of some friend or--"

"There is no one," she interrupted quickly. "No one to whom I would go
in this condition. They would not understand."

"Then," he said, "I must secure a nurse for you."

"Am I not able to care for the p'tite?" demanded Marie. "A nurse!"

"A nurse is needed to care for you both. I am going downstairs now to
summon one."

She protested feebly, and Marie vigorously, but he was insistent.

"I ought to call your family physician--"

"No, Mr. Donaldson, you must not do that."

She was firm upon this point, so he went below to do what else he might.

At the telephone he found the explanation of his inability to get the
house in the fact that the receiver was hanging loose. It was another
accusation. Doubtless in her weakened condition she had dropped it
from her hand and turned away, too dazed to replace it. The hot shame
of it dried his tongue so that he could scarcely make himself
understood. In spite of this he accomplished many things in a very few
minutes. The operator gave him the number of a near-by reliable nurse,
and finding her in, he sent off the cab for her. Then through an
employment bureau he secured a cook who agreed to reach the house
within an hour. He then telephoned the nearest market and ordered
everything he could think of from beefsteak to fruit, and to this added
everything the marketman could think of. He had no sooner finished
than the nurse arrived.

By the greatest good luck Miss Colson proved to be young, cheerful, and
capable. She followed Donaldson upstairs and succeeded in winning the
confidence of both the girl and