new latigo on it. Let me
know. Say, Kid, I sent two dollars to the Mystic Novelty Company. The
address is Lock Box 1347. The ad. said they would send you a book how to
read past, present and future from the hand and a genuine ten-karat
Persian diamond pin set in solid gold, if you sent on one dollar in
stamps or P. O. order. Well, the diamond may be all right enough
Persian, but the solid gold setting has turned black. You go there and
ask for the head man and raise particular--'" He broke off the reading.

"You see, they only die by getting shot, or falling off a horse."

The girl shuddered and turned to him with a sudden helpless yielding.

"I can hardly bear it," she said, almost in a whisper. "You don't know
what she is to me, how I've loved her and loved her and loved her. And
yet I've accepted her as a matter of course, a thing that couldn't be
taken from me, like the world itself. How could I think she might be
like--like those others? Oh, I never dreamed I could lose my dearest--my
dearest!"

He waited a moment, and at last said gently, "You won't lose your
dearest--we won't lose her."

"Oh, but she's going, before our eyes."

"Listen to me, listen now! She's going to get well. She'll be strong
again--I know it. I say she can't die; but you must be sure of it--as
sure as I am--do you hear?--as sure as I am."

"Yes, yes--I will be sure." She tried to look at him through her
tear-wet lashes. He smiled at her confidently.

"If we're both sure, we can have your sister crying in a month because
Ben won't let her work in the garden."

"Oh, if you only--" She broke off to look at him in wondering gratitude.

"And I'll go in and tell her so now," he added, rising.

"Yes, yes, make her feel sure, too," she implored. She turned quickly to
the car window, where twilight was blurring the fields to a far, dreamy
horizon, level and vast. He stood a moment, tracing with mental point
the line of her profile under the boyish cap pinned to her yellow hair.

Mrs. Laithe lay on a narrow sofa in the stateroom. She had moved from
that only to the berth at night since their start, and had betrayed a
preference for being alone in the little compartment. Ewing had felt,
however, that she liked to talk with him as evening drew on. She had
sent for him at this hour the day before and they had sat together in
the dusk. He was reassured by the cheerfulness of her tone as she
greeted him now.

"We're flying so fast," she said