my life,"
said Bessy, with serious sweetness.

"This? Do you mean meeting me? I'm greatly flattered, Bessy," said
Lane, with a smile.

Then both a blush and a glow made her radiant.

"Daren, I'm sixteen to-day. Holt and I are--we're engaged I told
mother, and expected a row. She was really pleased.... And then seeing
you well again. Why, Daren, you've actually got color. Then Holt has
been given a splendid business opportunity.... And--Oh! it's all too
good to be true."

"Well, of all things!" cried Lane, when he had a chance to speak. "You
two engaged! I--I could never tell you how glad I am." Lane felt that
he could have hugged them both. "I congratulate you with all my heart.
Now Holt--Bessy, make a go of it. You're the luckiest kids in the
world."

"Daren, we've both had our fling and we've both been hurt," said
Bessy, seriously. "And you bet _we_ know how lucky we are--and what
we owe Daren Lane for our happiness to-day."

"Bessy, that means a great deal to me," replied Lane, earnestly. "I
know you'll be happy. You have everything to live for. Just be true
to yourself."

So the moment of feeling passed.

"We went down to your place," said Holt, "and stayed a while waiting
for you."

"Daren, I think Mel is lovely. May I not come often to see you both?"
added Bessy.

"You know how pleased we'll be.... Bessy, do you ever see my sister
Lorna?" asked Lane, hesitantly.

"Yes, I see her now and then. Only the other day I met her in a store.
Daren, she's getting some sense. She has a better position now. And
she said she was not going with any fellow but Harry."

"And my mother?" Lane went on.

"She is quite well, Lorna said. And they are getting along well now.
Lorna hinted that a relative--an uncle, I think, was helping them."

Lane was silent a moment, too stirred to trust his voice. Presently he
said: "Bessy, your birthday has brought happiness to some one besides
yourself."

He bade them good-bye and strode on down the hill toward the cottage.
How strangely meetings changed the future! Holt's pride of possession
in Bessy brought poignantly back to Lane his own hidden love for Mel.
And Bessy's rapture of amaze at his improvement in health put Lane
face to face with a possibility he had dreamed of but had never
believed in--that he might live.

That night was for Lane a sleepless one. He seemed to have traveled in
a dreamy circle, and was now returning to memories and pangs from
which he had lon