ould leave you more
easily, knowing you would have his companionship. If I may take the
week-end, leaving on Friday night, I could return early on Monday
morning, and be with you in time to do the morning letters. Dr. Brand
would read you Saturday's and Sunday's--Ah, I forgot; there is no
Sunday post. So I should miss but one; and he would more than take my
place in other ways."

"Very well," said Garth, striving not to show disappointment. "I should
have liked that we three should have talked together. But no wonder you
want a time off. Shall you be going far?"

"No; I have friends near by. And now, do you wish to attend to your
letters?"

"Yes," said Garth, reaching out his hand. "Wait a minute. There is a
newspaper among them. I smell the printing ink. I don't want that. But
kindly give me the rest."

Nurse Rosemary took out the newspaper; then pushed the pile along,
until it touched his hand.

Garth took them. "What a lot!" he said, smiling in pleasurable
anticipation. "I say, Miss Gray, if you profit as you ought to do by
the reading of so many epistles written in every possible and
impossible style, you ought to be able to bring out a pretty
comprehensive 'Complete Letter-writer.' Do you remember the condolences
of Mrs. Parker-Bangs? I think that was the first time we really laughed
together. Kind old soul! But she should not have mentioned blind
Bartimaeus dipping seven times in the pool of Siloam. It is always best
to avoid classical allusions, especially if sacred, unless one has them
accurately. Now--" Garth paused.

He had been handling his letters, one by one; carefully fingering each,
before laying it on the table beside him. He had just come to one
written on foreign paper, and sealed. He broke off his sentence
abruptly, held the letter silently for a moment, then passed his
fingers slowly over the seal.

Nurse Rosemary watched him anxiously. He made no remark, but after a
moment laid it down and took up the next. But when he passed the pile
across to her, he slipped the sealed letter beneath the rest, so that
she should come to it last of all.

Then the usual order of proceedings commenced. Garth lighted a
cigarette--one of the first things he had learned to do for
himself--and smoked contentedly, carefully placing his ash-tray, and
almost unfailingly locating the ash, in time and correctly.

Nurse Rosemary took up the first letter, read the postmark, and
described the writing on the envelope