w that his concern for Burns's
victory was only second to her own.

"He's got to save him!" was his declaration, standing in her doorway,
late in the evening, hat in hand, bright dark eyes on Ellen's. "And the
way he's sticking by, I'm confident he will. That bull-dog grip of his
we know so well would pull a ton of lead out of a quicksand. He won't
give up while there's a breath stirring, and even if it stops he'll
start it again--with his will!"

"You are a loyal friend." Ellen's smile rewarded him for this blindly
assured speech, well as she knew how shaky was the foundation on which
he might be standing. "But the last message he sent was only that no
ground had been lost."

"Well, that's a good deal after ten hours." He looked at his watch.
"Keep a brave heart, Mrs. Burns. I'm going to the hospital now to see if
I can get just a glimpse of our man before we settle down for the night.
And I want to arrange with Miss Dwight--she was my nurse--to let me know
any news at any hour in the night."

It was at three in the morning that King called her to say with a ring
of joy in his voice: "There's a bit of a gain, Mrs. Burns. It looks
brighter."

It was at eight, five hours later, that Burns himself spoke to her. His
voice betrayed tension in spite of its steadiness. "We're holding hard,
Len; that's about all I can say."

"Dear--are you getting any rest?"

"Don't want any; I'm all right. I'll not be home till we're out of this,
you know. Good-bye, my girl." And he was gone, back to the bedside. She
knew, without being told, that he had hardly left it.

Thirty-six hours had gone by, and Ellen and Jordan King had had many
messages from the hospital before the one came which eased their anxious
minds: "Out of immediate danger." It was almost another thirty-six
before Burns came home.

She had never seen him look more radiantly happy, though the shadows
under his eyes were heavy, and there were lines of fatigue about his
mouth. Although she had been watching for him he took her by surprise
at last, coming upon her in the early morning just as she was descending
the stairs. With both arms around her, as she stood on the bottom stair,
he looked into her eyes.

"The game's worth the candle, Len," he said.

"Even though you've been burning the candle at both ends, dear? Yes, I
know it is. I'm so glad--so glad!"

"We're sworn friends, Van and I. Can you believe it? Len, he's simply
the finest ever."

She smiled at