doorway of the Green Bay
Tree. The Maccaroni Kid had him in tow, and he was buying wine.

I looked in vain for Locasto. He was on a big debauch, they told me.
Viola Lennoir had "got him going."

At midnight, at the door of the Paragon, I was waiting in a fever of
impatience when Berna came out.

"I'm living up at the cabin," she said; "you can walk with me as far as
that. That is, if you want to," she added coquettishly.

She was very bright and did most of the talking. She showed a vast joy
at seeing me.

"Tell me what you've been doing, dear--everything. Have you made a
stake? So many have. I have prayed you would, too. Then we'll go away
somewhere and forget all this. We'll go to Italy, where it's always
beautiful. We'll just live for each other. Won't we, honey?"

She nestled up to me. She seemed to have lost much of her shyness. I
don't know why, but I preferred my timid, shrinking Berna.

"It will take a whole lot to make me forget this," I said grimly.

"Yes, I know. Isn't it frightful? Somehow I don't seem to mind so much
now. I'm getting used to it, I suppose. But at first--O, it was
terrible! I thought I never could stand it. It's wonderful how we get
accustomed to things, isn't it?"

"Yes," I answered bitterly.

"You know, those rough miners are good to me. I'm a queen among them,
because they know I'm--all right. I've had several offers of marriage,
too, really, really good ones from wealthy claim-owners."

"Yes," still more bitterly.

"Yes, young man; so you want to make a strike and take me away to
Italy. Oh, how I plan and plan for us two. I don't care, my dearest, if
you haven't got a cent in the world, I'm yours, always yours."

"That's all right, Berna," I said. "I'm going to make good. I've just
lost a fifty-thousand dollar claim, but there's more coming up. By the
first of June next I'll come to you with a bank account of six figures.
You'll see, my little girl. I'm going to make this thing stick."

"You foolish boy," she said; "it doesn't matter if you come to me a
beggar in rags. Come to me anyway. Come, and do not fail."

"What about Locasto?" I asked.

"I've scarcely seen anything of him. He leaves me alone. I think he's
interested elsewhere."

"And are you sure you're all right, dear, down there?"

"Quite sure. These men would risk their lives for me. The other kind
know enough to leave me alone. Besides, I know better now how to take
care of myself. You remember the fright