announced Sheila, "and there's luck in odd numbers."

"Five's my number." The mammoth man looked a fraction less distracted as
he stated this important fact. "Born fifth day of the fifth month, struck
it rich when I was twenty-five, married in 'seventy-five, formed the
American Coal Trust December fifth, eighteen ninety-five. How's that for a
number?"

"And I'm twenty-five, and this is June fifth." Sheila smiled.

"Say, honest?" A glimmer of cheerfulness filtered through. The man
beckoned the superintendent of nurses closer and whispered in a perfectly
audible voice: "Can't you take it away now? I'd like to ask the other some
questions before you leave her for keeps."

Miss Maxwell nodded a dismissal to the nurse who had been, and called
Sheila to the bedside. "Look her over well, Mr. Brandle. Miss O'Leary
isn't a bit sensitive."

"O'Leary? That's not a bad name. Had a shaft boss up at my first
anthracite-mine by that name--got on with him first-class. Say"--this
direct to Sheila--"can you pray?"

"Not unless I have to."

"Not a bad answer. Now what--er--form of--literatoore do you prefer?"

"Things with pep--punch--go!"

"Say, shake." The mammoth man smiled as he held out a giant fist. Sheila
had the feeling she was shaking hands with some prehistoric animal. It was
almost repellent, and she had to summon all her sympathy and control to be
able to return the shake with any degree of cordiality.

"All right, ma'am. You can leave us now to thrash it out man to man. You'd
better get back to managing your little white angels," and he swept a
dismissing hand toward Miss Maxwell and the door.

Oddly enough, there was nothing rude nor affronting in the man's words.
There was too much of underlying good nature to permit it. With the
closing of the door behind the superintendent he turned to Sheila. "Now,
boss, we might as well understand each other--it'll save strikes or hurt
feelings. Eh?"

Sheila nodded.

"All right. I'm dying, and I know it. May burst like a paper bag or go up
like a penny balloon any minute. Now praying won't keep me from bursting a
second sooner, or send me up a foot higher, so cut it out."

Again Sheila nodded.

"That isn't all. Had two nurses who agreed, kept their word, but they
hadn't the nerve to keep the parson from praying, and when he was off duty
they just sat--twiddled their thumbs and waited for me to quit. Couldn't
stand that--got on my nerves something fearful."

"Wanted t