rton
lay.

"Miss Malroy is here," he said shortly.

"Betty?--bless her dear heart!" cried Charley rather weakly. "Just
toss my clothes into the closet and draw up a chair... There-thank
you, Bruce, that will do--let her come along in now." And as Carrington
quitted the room, Norton drew himself up on the pillows and faced the
door. "This is worth several beatings, Betty!" he exclaimed as she
appeared on the threshold. But much cotton and many bandages lent him
a rather fearful aspect, and Betty paused with a little gasp of dismay.
"I'm lots better than I look, I expect," said Norton. "Couldn't you
arrange to come a little closer?" he added, laughing.

He bent to kiss the hand she gave him, but groaned with the exertion.
Then he looked up into her face and saw her eyes swimming with tears.

"What--tears? Tears for me, Betty?" and he was much moved.

"It's a perfect outrage! Who did it, Charley?" she asked.

"You sit down and I'll tell you all about it," said Norton happily.

"Now tell me, Charley!" when she had seated herself.

"Who fetched you, Betty--old Tom?"

"No, I came alone."

"Well, it's mighty kind of you. I'll be all right in a day or so. What
did you hear?--that I'd been attacked and half-killed?"

"Yes--and robbed."

"There were three of the scoundrels. They made me climb out of the
saddle, and as I was unarmed they did as they pleased with me, which was
to stamp me flat in the road--"

"Charley!"

"I might almost be inclined to think they were friends of yours,
Betty--or at least friends of friends of yours."

"What do you mean, Charley--friends of mine?"

"Well, you see they started in by stipulating that I should keep away
from Belle Plain, and the terms they proposed being on the face of them
preposterous, trouble quickly ensued--trouble for me, you understand.
But never mind, dear, the next man who undertakes to grab my horse by
the bit won't get off quite so easy."

"Why should any one care whether you come to Belle Plain or not?"

"I wonder if my amiable friend, Tom, could have arranged this little
affair; it's sort of like old Tom to move in the dark, isn't it?"

"He couldn't--he wouldn't have done it, Charley!" but she looked
troubled, not too sure of this.

"Couldn't he? Well, maybe he couldn't--but he's afraid you'll marry
me--and I'm only afraid you won't. Betty, hasn't it ever seemed worth
your while to marry me just to give old Tom the scare of his life?"

"Please, Cha