low-cheeked face.

"She--she's saving my life," he whispered, hoarsely. "She's tireless
and--and kindness itself. Don't--don't let her get played out."

He put out a brown hand that had rapidly become very thin and touched
the girl's arm, after which he lay back, exhausted by his slight
effort. The doctor went to work again, baring the wound, injecting
fluids, adjusting the drains, and as he busied himself he always found
the girl at his side, with all that he needed ready at his hand.

"That'll do for a while," he finally said. "The drainage is good. He
isn't absorbing much poison now, that's sure. If we can keep up his
strength he's going to pull through, I hope. Get us a bite of supper,
Stefan, I'm as hungry as a bear."

[Illustration: He put out a brown hand and touched the girl's arm]

During the night the doctor dozed off again, at times, like a man well
versed in conserving his energy. But whenever he awoke he found Madge
wide awake, intently observing the patient or busy with something for
his comfort. The sky had cleared again and the great trunks were again
cracking in the frost of the bright and starlit night. Dr. Starr had
been staring for some moments at the girl. He shivered a little and
drew his stool nearer the stove. Stefan was again snoring on the
floor.

"Come over here," he told Madge in a low voice, "bring your seat with
you. I want to get something off my mind."

"You needn't answer if you don't wish to," he told her, "but--but
there's something rather tragic about that little face of yours. I
don't think it's idle curiosity, but I'd like to know. I might as well
confess that I've been questioning that fellow Stefan about you, but
the sum of his knowledge is best represented by zero. I can assure you
that I don't want to intrude and that I won't be a bit offended if you
tell me it's none of my business."

"What do you want to know?" asked Madge, rather frightened, although
she did not know why.

"You are aware, of course, that we doctors are used to seeing pain and
usually try to get at the cause, so that we may better know how to
relieve it. I should judge that you have known a lot of suffering;
that sort of thing leaves marks. Fortunately, they can often be
effaced in the young. I have been thinking that you were in need of a
friend. No! Don't draw back! I'll say right now that my wife 's the
best woman on earth and I've got four kids. You ought to see the
little rascals. Now I might a