ried to that other place in Central America."

A soft glow entered into his eyes now, and he came around the stove and
took one of Philip's hands between his own, and looked steadily down
into his face, while there came a curious twitching about the muscles of
his throat.

"Nothing had happened," he said, barely above a whisper. "I found
her, and I thank God for that I loved her, and my theory was doubly
shattered, a thousand times cursed. She is my wife, and I am the
happiest of men--except for these haunting memories. Before I married
her I told her all, and together we have tried to make restitution for
my crime, for I shall always deem it such. I found that the man who died
was supporting a mother, and that the girl's parents lived on a little
mortgaged farm in Michigan. We sent the mother ten thousand dollars, and
the parents the same. We have built a little church in the village where
they died. The third couple," finished the doctor, dropping Philip's
hand, "came up here. When I got back from the south I found that several
of my checks had been returned. I wrote letter after letter, but could
find no trace of these last of my experimenters. I sent an agent into
the North and he returned without news of them. They had never appeared
at Fort Smith. And now--I have come up to hunt for them myself. Perhaps,
in your future wanderings, you may be of some assistance to me. That is
why I have told you this--with the hope that you will help me, if you
can."

With a flash of his old, quick coolness the doctor turned to one of
Pierre Thoreau's bunks.

"Now," he said, with a strained laugh, "I'll follow your suggestion and
go to bed. Goodnight."

Chapter XIV. What Came Of The Great Love Experiment

For an hour after he had gone to bed Philip lay awake thinking of the
doctor's story. He dreamed of it when he fell asleep. In a way for which
he could not account, the story had a peculiar effect upon him, and
developed in him a desire to know the end. He awoke in the morning
anxious to resume the subject with McGill, but the doctor disappointed
him. During the whole of the day he made no direct reference to his
mission in the North, and when Philip once or twice brought him back
to the matter he evaded any discussion of it, giving him to understand,
without saying so, that the matter was a closed incident between them,
only to be reopened when he was able to give some help in the search.
The doctor talked freely of