to do, and then I got interested, and then it became terrible to think
that you might die."

"Yes," said Aladdin. His face was ghastly in the pre-sunrise light.

"You wouldn't get warm for hours," said Manners, "and I got so tired
that I couldn't rub any more, and so I stripped and got into the
blankets with you, and tried to keep you as warm as I could that way."

He paused to relight his pipe.

Aladdin stared up at the tattered ceiling with wide, wondering eyes.

"When you got warm," said Manners, "I gave you all the rest of the
whisky, and I'm sorry it made you sick, and now you're as fit as a
fiddle."

"Fit-as-a-fiddle," said Aladdin, slowly, as the wonder grew. And then he
began to cry like a little child. Manners waited till he had done, and
then wiped his face for him.

"So you see," said Manners, simply, though with difficulty,--for he was
a man shy, to terror, of discussing his own feelings,--"I can't help
liking you now, and--and I hope you won't feel so hard toward me any
more."

"I feel hard toward you!" said Aladdin. "Oh, Manners!" he cried. "I
thought all along that you were just a man that knew about horses and
dogs, but I see, I see; and I'm not going to worship anybody any more
except you and God, I'm not!"

Then he had another great long, hot cry. Manners waited patiently till
it was over.

"Manners," said Aladdin, in a choky, hoarse voice, "I think you're
different from what you used to be. You look as if--as if you 'd got the
love of mankind in you."

Manners did not answer. He appeared to be thinking of something
wonderful.

"Do you think that's it?" cried Aladdin.

Manners did not answer.

"Can't I get it, too?" Aladdin cried. "Have I got to be little and mean
always? So help me, Manners, I don't love any one but you and her."

"You 're not fit to talk," said Manners, with great gentleness. "You
go to sleep." He arose, and going to the door of the house, opened it a
little way and looked out.

"It's warm as toast out, Aladdin," he called. "There's going to be a big
thaw." He closed the door and went into the next room, and Aladdin could
hear him talking to the horse. After a little he came back.

"Greener says that she never was better stalled," he said.

"Manners," said Aladdin, "have I been raving?"

"Not been riding quite straight," said Manners.

"How soon are we going to start?" said Aladdin.

"We've got to wait till the snow's pretty well melted," said Manners.
"A