her skirt to use the ruffle of
her white petticoat, Anne came in.

"Why, Nolla! What has happened?"

"Oo-h, Anne--I lost my handkerchief!"

"Is that all, darling! Here use mine--It's clean. But don't cry over a
trifle like that. It is sure to be somewhere about the place."

Before Anne could dry the flooded eyes and hold the bit of white linen
at Eleanor's nose, the girl broke into a merry laugh--so close were
tears and laughter in Eleanor's makeup.

"Oh, oh--Anne! I didn't mean _that_ that was what made me _cry_! But I
am so disgusted with myself--that is why I am weeping. If some one would
only whip me soundly, I would feel _so_ much better!"

"Oh, I see! you're crying because you are so selfish, eh?"

Eleanor looked up astonished. "Selfish--no, I want to be thrashed, you
know."

"And because you cannot get what you think you want, you sit out here
and weep! Oh come, Nolla! come out on the terrace and let your Dad see
how happy you are!"

The very illumination that came with Anne's unexpected words choked the
sobs in Eleanor's throat, and she meekly followed Anne to the pump where
cold water was dashed upon her red eye-lids. As she dried her face on a
clean towel that hung back of the door, she thought: "Yes, sir! Even in
howling for a licking I was fooling myself into believing I was doing
the right thing! Oh, Nolla, Nolla! how much you have to change your old
ways of thinking and talking before you can feel as honest and wise as
Anne Stewart or Polly!"

CHAPTER XV

COMINGS AND GOINGS

It was very late when the doctor reached the ranch, that night, and
having examined the still unconscious man, pronounced his opinion to the
men who had accompanied him from the house.

"It's a bad concussion on the brain, I believe, following a slight
fracture of the skull. He has suffered internal injuries, too, from the
slight examination I can make here. But we can do nothing for him under
these conditions. He ought to be in a hospital in Denver where an
operation could take place."

"Would it be a risk to try and carry him there?" asked John, anxiously.

"He won't suffer during the trip, if that is what you mean, as he is
unconscious of physical pain. And the sooner he could be operated upon
the better. He will slowly pass away if left like this," returned the
doctor.

"But to-morrow's Sunday, John, and no trains run to Denver until Monday
noon," said Tom Latimer.

"There's the morning milk-train, yo