man into words was to fall to a
level to which she had never in her life thought of doing.

What was she to do? John never saw anything except in the light of his own
instincts and emotions, and an idea or a prejudice once fixed in his mind
could be uprooted by nothing but death; therefore to confess to him and
thereby make it possible to get away from Hugh would prejudice him against
Hugh, whom he would be certain to think had stolen something to which he
alone had the right, and against her whom he felt that he possessed, and
upon whom he could wreak almost any form of public revenge. Hugh had tried
to get away and John had himself held him, but John could not remember
that nor listen to it if told. Every effort had been made by Hugh to avoid
Elizabeth since he had found out the true situation, but nothing would
convince John of that. Had John Hunter the right then, being the kind of
man he was, to a confession from her that would confuse the whole issue
and do vital wrong to everybody concerned, including the baby, who must
suffer with the mother who would be made to seem much worse than she was.
This Elizabeth Hunter asked herself daily, and with the fear that her
conscience would force her to confession should she permit any
demonstration of affection, and to avoid any possibility of it, she became
colder and colder in her manner toward the sick man.

The effort to keep off dangerous ground was disastrous, for Hugh instantly
misunderstood it, and the gloom which settled over him increased the
difficulties with which Elizabeth had to contend. Doctor Morgan saw that
his patient, who had seemed slightly better, fell back again, and he
worried about his despondent condition.

"Cheer him up, Mrs. Hunter! Read to him! Anything!" he would exclaim.
"He's got to have peace of mind, or there's no hope in the world of his
recovery. Something more 'n staved-in ribs is keeping him down," the
doctor urged, not knowing that he laid impossible burdens on shoulders too
young to bear them.

The two duties, the one to her husband and the one to her patient, stared
her in the face, and she had no one with whom to advise or consult.

"I don't care! His life's worth more than for me to approve of myself as a
wife," she decided at last, and yet when she gave Hugh his next dose of
medicine she was colder and more on her guard than ever.

Luther Hansen came to see Hugh that afternoon. Elizabeth received an
inspiration when he started