n the face. "There is
a reason why I would give my life--why I do and must give my life to
protecting them from the consequences of the disaster. No sacrifice is
too great for me to make to save their home for them."

"Do you mind telling me how much the mortgage is for?" asked Everett,
still in his cool, thoughtful voice.

"For ten thousand dollars," answered Rose Mary. "The land is worth
really less than fifteen. Nobody but such a--such a friend as Mr.
Newsome would have loaned Uncle Tucker so much. He--he has been very
kind to us. I--I am very grateful to him and I--" Rose Mary faltered
and dropped her eyes. A tear trembled on the edge of her black lashes
and then splashed on to the chubby cheek of Peter the reposer.

"I see," said Everett coolly, and a flint tone made his usually rich
voice harsh and tight. For a few minutes he sat quietly looking Rose
Mary over with an inscrutable look in his eyes that finally faded
again into the utter world weariness. "I see--and so the bargain and
sale goes on even on Providence Road under Old Harpeth. But the old
people will never have to give up the Briars while you are here to pay
the price of their protection, Rose Mary. Never!"

"I don't believe they will--my faith in Him makes me sure," answered
Rose Mary with lovely unconsciousness as she raised large, comforted
eyes to Everett's. "I don't know how I'm going to manage, but somehow
my cup of faith seems to get filled each day with the wine of courage
and the result is mighty apt to be a--song." And Rose Mary's face
blushed out again into a flowering of smiles.

"A sort of cup of heavenly nectar," answered Everett with an answering
smile, but the keen look still in his eyes. "See here, I want you to
promise me something--don't ever, under any circumstances, tell
anybody that I know about this mortgage. Will you?"

"Of course, I won't if you tell me not to," answered Rose Mary
immediately. "I don't like to think or talk about it. I only told you
because you wanted to help us. Help offers are the silver linings to
trouble clouds, and you brought this one down on yourself, didn't you?
Of course, it's selfish and wrong to tell people about your anxieties,
but there is just no other way to get so close to a friend. Don't you
think perhaps sometimes the Lord doesn't bother to 'temper the winds,'
but just leads you up on the sheltered side of somebody who is
stronger than you are and leaves you there until your storm is over