t his hand to her, but could not.
His tongue felt thick--.

She knelt beside his chair. Her head was bare. She wore no wrap. "We
were married this morning. And my own father has gone--to France--and
I wanted a father--"

"Did Derry tell you to come?"

"Bronson begged me. He was at the wedding--"

"Old Bronson?" He tried to smile, but the smile was twisted.

She was looking up at him fearfully, but her voice did not falter. "I
came to tell you that Derry loves you. He doesn't want your money, oh,
you know that he doesn't want it. But he is going away to the--war,
and he may be killed, so many men are--killed. And he--loves you--"

"Where is he?"

"I wouldn't let him come. You see, you said things which were hard for
him to forgive. I was afraid you might say such things again."

He knew that he would never say them. "Tell him that--I love him." He
tried to sit up. "Tell him that he is--my son."

He fell back. He heard her quick cry, "Bronson--"

Bronson came running up the stairs, and the nurse who had watched the
scene dazedly from the threshold of the General's room ran, too.

Weighted down by a sense of increasing numbness he lifted his agonized
eyes to Jean. "Stay with me--stay--"

Hilda, waked by the day nurse, raged. "You should have called me at
once when he left his room. Why didn't you call me?"

"Because I felt myself competent to manage the case."

"You see how you have managed it--I will be down in a minute. Get
everybody out--"

Her composed manner when she came down showed nothing of that which was
seething within her.

She found Jean in bridal-white sitting by the bed and holding the
General's hand. The doctor had been sent for, Derry had been sent
for--things were being swept out of her hands. She blamed it, still
hiding her anger under a quiet manner, on Jean.

"He has had a stroke. It was probably the excitement of your coming."

The day nurse intervened. "It was before she came, Miss Merritt, that
I saw him reach for the rug. I was puzzled and started to investigate,
and then I saw her on the stairs--" She smiled at Jean. Never in her
limited young life had the day nurse seen such a lovely bride, and she
did not in the least like Miss Merritt.

Derry coming a little later held Jean's hand in his while he faced
Hilda. "What does the doctor say?"

The truth came reluctantly. "He may be unconscious for days. He may
never wake up--"

"I do not think