mall stretch of flat
before the rise began, leading to where he rested. More like some
graceful, agile boy was she than a girl. Her clothing was of that type
which has all too soon taken the place of the buckskin in the West,--a
riding habit, with stout little shoes and leather puttees; her hair was
drawn tight upon her head and encased in the shielding confines of a
cap, worn low over her forehead, the visor pulled aside by a jutting
twig and now slanting out at a rakish angle; her arms full of something
pink and soft and pretty. Barry wondered what it could be,--then
brightened with sudden hope.

"Wonder if she's bringing them to me?"

The answer came a moment later as she faced him, panting slightly from
the exertion of the climb, the natural flush of exercise heightened by
her evident embarrassment.

"Oh, you're up!" came in an almost disappointed manner. Then with a
glance toward the great cluster of wild roses in her arms, "I don't
know what to do with these things now."

"Why?" Barry's embarrassment was as great as hers. "If--if it'll do
any good, I'll climb back into bed again."

"No--don't. Only I thought you were really, terribly ill and--"

"I am--I was--I will be. That is--gosh, it's a shame for you to go out
and pick all those and then have me sitting up here as strong as an ox.
I--"

"Oh, don't worry about that." She smiled at him with that sweetness
which only a woman can know when she has the advantage. "I didn't pick
them. Lost Wing"--she pointed to the skulking, outlandishly dressed
Indian in the background--"attended to that. I was going to send them
over by him. But I didn't have anything to do, so I just thought I'd
bring them myself."

"Thanks for that, anyway. Can't I keep them just the same--to put on
the table or something?"

"Oh, if you care to." Barry felt that she was truly disappointed that
he wasn't at the point of death, or at least somewhere near it.
"Where's Ba'tiste."

"Out looking after his traps, picking them up I think, for the summer.
He'll be back soon. Is there--"

"No. I usually come over every day to see him, you know." Then the
blue eyes lost their diffidence to become serious. "Do you remember
yet who you are?"

"Less right at this minute than at any other time!" spoke Barry
truthfully. "I'm out of my head entirely!" He reached for the flowers.

"Please don't joke that way. It's really serious. When I was
across--army nursing--I saw a l