be shattered. You
see, I have held up the ideal of service, regardless of reward, as our
motto." He sat silently looking out of the car window for a moment,
while the nurse studied his serious, purposeful face and mentally
revised her previous estimate of him. Then he went on, with an
apologetic laugh, "Besides--Oh, I know that it sounds utterly
preposterous, but there are times when a man's groundless premonitions
are more real to him than any logical conclusions of his own. This is
one of those times."

The subject dropped.

Donald had, in addition to a fortnight's compensation in advance, given
Miss Merriman a return ticket and sufficient money to cover all
necessary disbursements, and told her that she must, of course, look to
him for any additional salary. Under no circumstances, he said, was she
to accept what Rose was sure to try and press upon her.

At length the plodding horse turned into the little clearing before
Jerry's cabin, and, as it appeared, the watcher outside, his face
twitching, slunk silently away into the forest, where his racked soul
was to endure its hours of Gethsemane.

Rose heard them. She hastened to the door, and her white lips uttered a
low cry which spoke the overwhelming measure of her relief.

"I just _knew_ you'd come!" she said, as the man, numbed with cold,
swung his companion to the ground. The girl gave her a quick glance of
surprise; but her eyes instantly returned to the doctor's face with an
expression which Miss Merriman decided was as nearly worship as she had
ever seen.

Donald did not return her greeting in words at first; but, after he had
paid the driver, so liberally that the latter was left speechless, and
they had entered the cabin, he held out his strong arms to her. Smiles
swayed into them and pressed her face against the thick fur of his coat
with an almost soundless sigh that told the whole story of anxious
waiting and the end of the tension that had left its mark on her
childlike face.

"This, Miss Merriman, is my little foster-sister, Rose. And Miss
Merriman is a nurse who has come to help us," said he, as he released
her, and passed on to greet the old giant, who had slowly pulled his
shattered, towering frame from his chair, and now stood with a gaunt
hand held out in welcome, while a ghost of his one-time hearty smile
shadowed his lips. Big Jerry's flowing beard was now snow-white, and
Donald was shocked at the change which had taken place in him.

T