th." She drew in her breath quickly.
"Of course you will tell me the truth."

When she asked the question he felt her arms draw tight about his
shoulders. It was as though she was holding him to herself, and from
some one who had reached out for him. In his trouble he turned to his
old friend and keeper. His voice was hoarse and very low.

"Is this the same young lady who was on the transport--the one you used
to drive away?"

In his embarrassment, the hospital steward blushed under his tan, and
stammered.

"Of course it's the same young lady," the Doctor answered briskly. "And
I won't let them drive her away." He turned to her, smiling gravely. "I
think his condition has ceased to be dangerous, madam," he said.

People who in a former existence had been his friends, and Her brother,
gathered about his stretcher and bore him through the crowd and lifted
him into a carriage filled with cushions, among which he sank lower
and lower. Then She sat beside him, and he heard Her brother say to the
coachman, "Home, and drive slowly and keep on the asphalt."

The carriage moved forward, and She put her arm about him and his head
fell on her shoulder, and neither of them spoke. The vision had lasted
so long now that he was torn with the joy that after all it might be
real. But he could not bear the awakening if it were not, so he raised
his head fearfully and looked up into the beautiful eyes above him. His
brows were knit, and he struggled with a great doubt and an awful joy.

"Dearest," he said, "is it real?"

"Is it real?" she repeated.

Even as a dream, it was so wonderfully beautiful that he was satisfied
if it could only continue so, if but for a little while.

"Do you think," he begged again, trembling, "that it is going to last
much longer?"

She smiled, and, bending her head slowly, kissed him.

"It is going to last--always," she said.

THE MAN WITH ONE TALENT

The mass-meeting in the Madison Square Garden which was to help set
Cuba free was finished, and the people were pushing their way out of
the overheated building into the snow and sleet of the streets. They
had been greatly stirred and the spell of the last speaker still hung so
heavily upon them that as they pressed down the long corridor they were
still speaking loudly in his praise.

A young man moved eagerly amongst them, and pushed his way to wherever a
voice was raised above the rest. He strained forward, listening openly,
as though h