last, and I'm liking him!" She smiled with deep
contentment.

X

JOSEPH JOURNEYS TO A FAR COUNTRY

Having established the permanent reality of Billy Burgeman to her own
satisfaction, Patsy's mind went racing off to conjure up all the
possible things Billy and the tinker might think of each other as
soon as chance should bring them together. Whereas it was perfectly
consistent that Billy should shun the consolation and companionship
of his own world, he might follow after vagabond company as a thirsty
dog trails water; and who could slake that thirst better than the
tinker? For a second time that day she pictured the two swinging down
the open road together; and for the second time she pulled a wry
little smile.

The car was nearing the cross-roads from which Patsy had been
originally kidnapped. She looked up to identify it, and saw a second
car speeding toward them from the opposite direction, while between
the two plodded a solitary little figure, coming toward them,
supported by a mammoth pilgrim staff. It was a boy, apparently
conscious of but the one car--theirs; and he swerved to their
left--straight into the path of the car behind--to let them pass.
They sounded their horns, waved their hands, and shouted warnings. It
seemed wholly unbelievable that he should not understand or that the
other car would not stop. But the unbelievable happened; it does
sometimes.

Before Gregory Jessup could jump from their machine the other car had
struck and the boy was tossed like a bundle of empty clothing to the
roadside beyond. The nightmarish suddenness of it all held them
speechless while they gaped at the car's driver, who gave one
backward glance and redoubled his speed. Patsy was the first out of
the tonneau, and she reached the boy almost as soon as Gregory
Jessup.

"Damn them! That's the second time in my life I've seen a machine run
some one down and sneak--"

He broke off at Patsy's sharp cry: "Holy Mary keep him! 'Tis the wee
lad from Lebanon!"

By this time the rest of the carful had gathered about them; and
Dempsy Carter--being a good Catholic--bared his head and crossed
himself.

"'Tis wee Joseph of Lebanon," Patsy repeated, dully; and then to
Dempsy Carter, "Aye, make a prayer for him; but ye'd best do it
driving like the devil for the doctor."

They left at once with her instructions to get the nearest doctor
first, and then to go after the boy's parents. Gregory Jessup stayed
behind with