at your end?"

"Yes. I have the girl's address. She's in New York. Is his father
inside?"

"Yes."

"Ask him to step into the reception room for a few minutes, please."

The Laird appeared promptly in response to this message, and the two
men walked slowly down the hall to the reception-room. Daney closed
the door and resolutely faced The Laird.

"The doctors and the nurses tell me things, sir, they're afraid to
tell you," he began. "Ordinarily, the boy should be able to fight this
thing through successfully, for he has a splendid body and a lot of
resistance, but the fact of the matter is, he isn't trying. He doesn't
want to get well."

The Laird's face went white.

"They believe this?" he cried sharply.

"They do. His subconscious mind clings to the memory of his loss. He
keeps calling for her in his delirium, doesn't he? Now that he is
assured she has dropped out of his life forever, he doesn't give a
snap whether school keeps or not--and the doctors cannot cure him. If
the girl were here--well, she might. Her very presence would bring
about a strong mental and physical reaction--" He paused a moment.
Then, "I know where she can be found."

The Laird raised his haggard face and though his stern gray eyes were
dull with agony, yet Daney saw in them the light of an unfaltering
resolution.

"I have left my son's honor and his life in the hands of God Almighty.
I have made my bed and I'll lie in it," he panted.

"But if the boy should die--"

"Rather that than--than--"

"But you're not going to take a chance on his pulling through, in the
face of the advice of the doctors that only the girl's presence can
stimulate him to a desire to live. I tell you, Hector McKaye, man,
he's dying because he is not interested in living."

"God's will be done, Andrew. If I asked her to come back and save my
lad, I'd have to surrender him to her, and I would be derelict in my
duty as a father if I permitted that. Better that he should pass out
now than know the horror of a living death through all the years to
come. God knows best. It is up to Him. Let there be no talk of this
thing again, Andrew." Abruptly he quitted the room and returned to his
vigil by the side of the son who was at once the light and the shadow
of his existence.

The nurse came stealthily to the reception-room entrance and looked in
inquiringly. Daney shook his head, so she came into the room and
pointed at him a singularly commanding index-finger