. Then he laid the books on the log, the arm load of plants
beside them, and went to the river to wash his soiled hands.

Belshazzar's short bark told him the Girl was coming, and between the
trees he saw the dog race to meet her and she bent to stroke his
head. She wore the same dress and appeared even paler and thinner. The
Harvester hurried up the bank, wiping his hands on his handkerchief.

"Glad to see you!" he greeted her casually. "I've fixed you a seat
with a back rest to-day. Don't be frightened at the stack of herbs. You
needn't gather all of those. They are only suggestions. They are just
common roadside plants that have some medicinal value and are worth
collecting. Please try my davenport."

"Thank you!" she said as she dropped on the log and leaned her head
against the tree. It appeared as if her eyes closed a few seconds in
spite of her, and while they were shut the Harvester looked steadily
and intently on a face of exquisite beauty, but so marred by pallor and
lines of care that search was required to recognize just how handsome
she was, and if he had not seen her in perfection in the dream the
Harvester might have missed glorious possibilities. To bring back that
vision would be a task worth while was his thought. With the first faint
quiver of an eyelash the Harvester took a few steps and bent over a
plant, and as he did so the Girl's eyes followed him.

He appeared so tall and strong, so bronzed by summer sun and wind, his
face so keen and intense, that swift fear caught her heart. Why was he
there? Why should he take so much trouble for her? With difficulty she
restrained herself from springing up and running away. Turning with
the plant in his hand the Harvester saw the panic in her eyes, and
it troubled his heart. For an instant he was bewildered, then he
understood.

"I don't want you to work when you are not able," he said in his most
matter-of-fact voice, "but if you still think that you are, I'll be very
glad. I need help just now, more than I can tell you, and there seem to
be so few people who can be trusted. Gathering stuff for drugs is really
very serious business. You see, I've a reputation to sustain with some
of the biggest laboratories in the country, not to mention the fact
that I sometimes try compounding a new remedy for some common complaint
myself. I rather take pride in the fact that my stuff goes in so fresh
and clean that I always get anywhere from three to ten cents a poun