He continued to watch them, and at length
enjoyed the sight of John up and out again with color in his cheeks and
the old courage--nay, a new and a better courage--in his eyes.

Said the Doctor on his last visit, "Take good care of your husband, my
child." He held the little wife's hand a moment, and gazed out of Mrs.
Riley's front door upon the western sky. Then he transferred his gaze to
John, who stood, with his knee in a chair, just behind her. He looked at
the convalescent with solemn steadfastness. The husband smiled broadly.

"I know what you mean. I'll try to deserve her."

The Doctor looked again into the west.

"Good-by."

Mary tried playfully to retort, but John restrained her, and when she
contrived to utter something absurdly complimentary of her husband he
was her only hearer.

They went back into the house, talking of other matters. Something
turned the conversation upon Mrs. Riley, and from that subject it seemed
to pass naturally to Ristofalo. Mary, laughing and talking softly as
they entered their room, called to John's recollection the Italian's
account of how he had once bought a tarpaulin hat and a cottonade shirt
of the pattern called a "jumper," and had worked as a deck-hand in
loading and unloading steam-boats. It was so amusingly sensible to put
on the proper badge for the kind of work sought. Richling mused. Many a
dollar he might have earned the past summer, had he been as ingeniously
wise, he thought.

"Ristofalo is coming here this evening," said he, taking a seat in the
alley window.

Mary looked at him with sidelong merriment. The Italian was coming to
see Mrs. Riley.

"Why, John," whispered Mary, standing beside him, "she's nearly ten
years older than he is!"

But John quoted the old saying about a man's age being what he feels,
and a woman's what she looks.

"Why,--but--dear, it is scarcely a fortnight since she declared nothing
could ever induce"--

"Let her alone," said John, indulgently. "Hasn't she said half-a-dozen
times that it isn't good for woman to be alone? A widow's a woman--and
you never disputed it."

"O John," laughed Mary, "for shame! You know I didn't mean that. You
know I never could mean that."

And when John would have maintained his ground she besought him not to
jest in that direction, with eyes so ready for tears that he desisted.

"I only meant to be generous to Mrs. Riley," he said.

"I know it," said Mary, caressingly; "you're always on the g