y eyes, and
the faint, grim smile. "H'm!" he said again. "I suppose you know who
you're going to give your water to?" he questioned.

Hollis nodded. "To men who refused to help my father when he needed
help," he returned.

Hazelton smiled oddly. "I've heard about that," he said. He laughed. "It
strikes me that I wouldn't give such men any water," he added.

Hollis turned and looked at him, meeting his gaze fairly, and holding
it.

"Yes, you would, Hazelton," he said, a broad smile on his face.

"How do you know that?" queried the latter, slightly defiant.

Hollis motioned toward the kitchen door. "I know," he said; "you're her
brother."

"Well," began Hazelton hesitatingly,--"I----"

The screen door opened--slammed, and Nellie Hazelton came out upon the
porch. She had found time to change her morning dress for a soft, fluffy
creation of some sort, and she stood before them, flushing slightly as
both looked at her, a picture that smote Hollis's heart with a sudden
longing. Only one glance did she give him and then she was over near
Ed's chair, leaning over him, stroking his hair.

For a long time Hollis sat, watching them with sympathetic, appreciative
eyes. Then he thought of the letter in his pocket, the one postmarked
"Chicago," which he had discovered at the _Kicker_ office on
returning from the court house. He drew it from his pocket and read the
legend in the upper left hand corner:

"Dr. J. J. Hammond, ---- Hospital, Chicago, Ill."

He studied the legend for some little time, his thoughts busy with the
contents of the envelope. Fortunately, his letter to the great physician
had fallen into the hands of the son, Tom Hammond, and the latter, not
forgetting his old schoolmate, had appealed to his father. This was what
the surgeon had written in the letter--he would not have agreed to
accept the case had it not been for the fact that Hollis had been, and
was Tom's friend. He would be pleased if the patient would make the
journey to Chicago within a month, that he might be able to take up his
case before entering upon some scientific investigations which had been
deferred a long time, etc.

Hollis had been reading the letter again. He finished it and looked up,
to see Ed and Nellie watching him. He flushed and smiled, holding out
the letter to Nellie.

"I beg your pardon," he said. "I found this interesting. Perhaps you
will also find it so."

He leaned back with a smile and watched them. But he did n