aced death
after flinching from life. He was sick of his hypocrisy; he would be
frank with himself. He would be frank with her; he had a right to it
this once. He pressed down the paper she was reading.

"Don't repeat it," he commanded. "It is n't true! It's all wrong!"

"What do you mean?"

"That it's all a lie!"

"But here 's your picture. And _that 's_ you."

"Oh, the naked facts are true. But the rest about,--" it was hard to
do this with her eyes upon him, "the rest about being a hero--about
nerve and bravery. It's rot! It is n't so!"

She threw back her head, resting it upon the top of her chair, and
laughed gently. The color had come back into her cheeks and even the
dark below her eyes seemed to fade.

"Of course," she returned, "you would n't be a truly hero if you knew
you were one."

"But I know I 'm not."

"Of course and so you are!"

The impulse was strong within him to pour out to her the whole bitter
story. Better to stand shorn and true before her than garbed in such
false colors as these. But as before, he realized that her own welfare
forbade even this relief.

The nurse approached with a cheery smile, but with an unmistakable air
of authority.

"You will pardon me," she interrupted, "but we must keep Miss Arsdale
as quiet as possible. I think she ought to try to sleep a little now."

Sorry as he was to go, Donaldson was relieved to know that he was
leaving her in such good hands.

The ringing of the front door-bell startled her. She shrank back in
her chair. The nurse was at her side instantly.

"You had better leave at once," she whispered to Donaldson.

"It's only the new cook," he answered.

He went downstairs and ushered her in, and led her to the kitchen.

"The place is yours," he said, waving his hands about the room, "and
all you 've got to do is to cook quickly and properly whatever order is
sent down to you. Get that?"

The woman nodded, but glanced suspiciously about the deserted quarters.
The place looked as when first opened in the Fall, after the return
from the summer vacation.

"The family," Donaldson went on to explain, "consists of three. If you
succeed in satisfying this group I 'll give you an extra ten at the end
of the week."

"I 'll do it, sor."

She looked as though she was able.

"Anything more you want to know?"

"The rist of the help, sor,--"

"You 're all of it," he answered briefly.

Before leaving the house he did one th