glanced in surprise at the black-eyed girl bending so
sympathetically above her, and once more burst into a flood of tears,
sobbing wildly, "It ain't any use, Tabitha! You couldn't help if you
was a woman grown. No one can help. The doctor says--" The choking
words died on her lips. She could not bear to repeat the doctor's
verdict.

"That Mr. McKittrick is worse?" whispered Tabitha.

The bowed head nodded despairingly.

"Surely he isn't going to----"

"Die?" cried the woman wildly. "Yes, he must die unless we can get him
out of here. The only hope is an operation. That means Los Angeles, a
hospital, a nurse, and hundreds of dollars; and not a cent coming in
from anywhere. The children are too young to earn, and I can't work
with him to nurse and six youngsters to care for. Oh, it does seem as
if troubles never come singly! Whatever we are going to do is more
than I know. The whole world has turned upside down!"

Gravely Tabitha nodded her head. Only a year before as she had stood
beside the bed of her father, fighting what seemed like a hopeless
battle with death, she, too, had felt that despairing helplessness.
"If only Dr. Vane were here!" she whispered fervently.

"I don't believe he could do a bit more for the man than Dr. Hayes is
doing. He'd just say the same thing, and there wouldn't be any more
money than there is now to carry out his orders."

In vain Tabitha sought to comfort and cheer the despondent soul, but
seemed only to make matters worse, and at length, disheartened at her
apparent failure, she stole away from the brown house on the bluff, and
with Gloriana following silently at her heels, set out for home. Not a
word passed between them as they hastened down the main street of the
town, until, just as they reached the dingy telegraph station, the
sound of the busy, clattering key caused Tabitha to halt abruptly and a
gleam of determination to flash over her sober, worried face.

"That's what!" she exclaimed joyfully. "I'll do it! Mr. Carson will
fix everything. 'Twas in his mine that McKittrick was hurt."

"What do you mean? Where are you going?" asked bewildered Gloriana,
unable to follow Tabitha's thoughts, and wondering what errand was
taking her into the low, dimly lighted shack from which issued the
monotonous, nervous, clicking sound which had attracted Tabitha's
attention.

"To telegraph Mr. Carson. If he knew how badly off Mr. McKittrick is,
he would send him ins