and never spoke of what they had seen; but neither of
them forgot it.

XII

One July night, when the moon was full, Dr. Archie was coming up from
the depot, restless and discontented, wishing there were something to
do. He carried his straw hat in his hand, and kept brushing his hair
back from his forehead with a purposeless, unsatisfied gesture. After he
passed Uncle Billy Beemer's cottonwood grove, the sidewalk ran out of
the shadow into the white moonlight and crossed the sand gully on high
posts, like a bridge. As the doctor approached this trestle, he saw a
white figure, and recognized Thea Kronborg. He quickened his pace and
she came to meet him.

"What are you doing out so late, my girl?" he asked as he took her hand.

"Oh, I don't know. What do people go to bed so early for? I'd like to
run along before the houses and screech at them. Isn't it glorious out
here?"

The young doctor gave a melancholy laugh and pressed her hand.

"Think of it," Thea snorted impatiently. "Nobody up but us and the
rabbits! I've started up half a dozen of 'em. Look at that little one
down there now,"--she stooped and pointed. In the gully below them there
was, indeed, a little rabbit with a white spot of a tail, crouching down
on the sand, quite motionless. It seemed to be lapping up the moonlight
like cream. On the other side of the walk, down in the ditch, there was
a patch of tall, rank sunflowers, their shaggy leaves white with dust.
The moon stood over the cottonwood grove. There was no wind, and no
sound but the wheezing of an engine down on the tracks.

"Well, we may as well watch the rabbits." Dr. Archie sat down on the
sidewalk and let his feet hang over the edge. He pulled out a smooth
linen handkerchief that smelled of German cologne water. "Well, how goes
it? Working hard? You must know about all Wunsch can teach you by this
time."

Thea shook her head. "Oh, no, I don't, Dr. Archie. He's hard to get at,
but he's been a real musician in his time. Mother says she believes he's
forgotten more than the music-teachers down in Denver ever knew."

"I'm afraid he won't be around here much longer," said Dr. Archie. "He's
been making a tank of himself lately. He'll be pulling his freight one
of these days. That's the way they do, you know. I'll be sorry on your
account." He paused and ran his fresh handkerchief over his face. "What
the deuce are we all here for anyway, Thea?" he said abruptly.

"On earth, you mean