est which filled his window and then
rose and walked into the inner room. He was greatly astonished to find
Belle there, lying on the bed, apparently asleep. He sat down beside her
and took her hand. She opened her eyes slowly as though
awakening--gentle hypocrite.

"I didn't know you were back," he said. She closed her eyes again as
though they were heavy with sleep. It was a small fraud, but it set his
mind at ease, as she meant it should.

After a time, she roused herself and began with enthusiasm: "Oh, Jim, I
have had such a clear and lovely dream. I thought we were back at Cedar
Mountain, riding again in the sagebrush, with the prairie wind blowing
through our very souls."

She watched his face eagerly and saw the response she expected. It came
in larger measure than she had looked for. "I felt as though I could do
anything," she went on, "go anywhere or take any jump; and just as I was
riding full tilt at the Yellowbank Canyon, you took me by the hand and
held me back; then I awoke and you _did_ have my hand. Isn't it queer
the way dreams melt into reality?" She laughed happily and went on as if
he were opposing the project: "Why not, Jim? You need a holiday; why
shouldn't we go and drink a long deep draught of life in the hills and
sage? I know we'll get a clearer vision of life from the top of Cedar
Mountain than we can anywhere else."

"It seems too good to be true," he slowly answered, and his voice
trembled. Less than half an hour ago he had prayed for this and suddenly
the way seemed plain, if not yet open.

The winter and spring had gone, and the summer was dying. In all this
time the Hartigans had carried their daily, hourly burden, without halt
or change. Whatever of hardship there was, came in the form of thwarted
plans, heart-cravings for things they felt they must give up. Jim made
no mention of his disappointments and, so far as he could, he admitted
his hunger neither to himself nor to Belle. It was merely a matter of
form, applying for a month's leave; this had been agreed on from the
beginning. The largest difficulty was in the fact that they must go
together--the head and the second head both away at once. But there
were two good understudies ready trained--Skystein and Dr. Mary
Mudd--with Mr. Hopkins as chairman to balance their powers. Michael Shay
too, came to offer gruffly and huskily his help: "If I can do anything,
like puttin' up cash, or fixin' anybody that's workin' agin you, count