on't believe in luck."

"I do. I believe in bad luck, for it's generally with me. Does your
mother come every day?"

"Yes, although I beg her not to."

"I reckon she'll do about what she wants to. Has the Major----"

She held up her hand and he sat looking at her with his mouth half open.
But at the risk of offending her, he added: "I didn't know but he might
have come over."

"He would, but I won't let him."

"And do you think it's exactly right not to let him?"

"I think it is exactly right to do as a something within me dictates,"
she answered. "He placed me in a certain position----"

"But he is more than willing to take you out of it," Taylor broke in.
"He doesn't want you to remain in that position."

"No, he can't take me out of it. He charged me with ingratitude, and I
would rather he had driven me off the place. Nothing can be much crueler
than to remind one of ingratitude; it is like shooting from behind a
rock; it is having one completely at your mercy."

Now she sat leaning forward with her hands clasped over her knees.
Pennington coughed slightly in his sleep and she looked toward the bed.
She straightened up and put the hair back out of her eyes and Taylor
followed the motion of her hand.

"Did he eat the squirrel?"

"Yes, and enjoyed it."

The cat got up, stretched, and rubbing against the tongs, knocked them
down with a clatter. Pennington awoke. Louise was beside him in a
moment. "Ah, it's you, Mr. Taylor," he said.

"Yes, but it wasn't me that made the noise."

"Oh, it didn't disturb me, I assure you. I was just about waking up
anyway. That will do, thank you." Louise had begun to arrange the
pillows. "I'll sit up. See how strong I am. Give me a pipe. I believe I
can smoke a little."

She went to fill a pipe for him, and turning to Taylor, he said: "I'm
getting stronger now every day; good appetite, sleep first-rate. And
I'll be able to walk about pretty soon. Oh, they had me dead, you know,
but I knew better all the time."

Louise placed a coal upon his pipe and handed it to him. She said that
she was afraid it might make him cough, but it did not.

"I have always maintained that there was nothing the matter with my
lungs," he said, contentedly blowing rings of smoke. "Why, I hadn't a
symptom of consumption except the cough, and that's about gone. And my
prospects were never better than they are this minute. Received a letter
yesterday from over in Alabama--want me to take a pro