into startled wonderment.

"Forget you? Why, Dick . . .!"

"I mean, till we meet again," he reassured her hastily.

The Girl heaved a troubled sigh. Her fears for him were still on edge.
Then, with a nervous start, she asked:

"Did he call?"

"No. He'll--he'll warn me," Johnson told her unsteadily.

"Oh, every day that dawns I'll wait for a message from you. I'll feel
you wanting me. Every night I'll say to-morrow, and every to-morrow I'll
say to-day . . . Oh, you've changed the whole world for me! I can't let
you go, but I must, Dick, I must . . ." And bursting into tears, she
buried her face on his shoulder, repeating piteously, between shaking
sobs, "Oh, I'm so afraid,--I'm so afraid!"

He held her close, the strength of his arms around her reassuring her
silently. "Why, you mustn't be afraid," he said in tones that were
almost steady. "In a few minutes I'll be quite free, and then--"

"An' you'll make a little home for me when you're free--soon--will you?"
asked the Girl, with a wan smile dawning on her trembling lips. She was
drying her eyes and did not see how the light died out of the man's
face, as he gazed down at her hungrily, hopelessly. This time he could
not trust himself to speak, but merely nodded "yes."

"A strange feelin' has come over me," went on the Girl, brokenly, "a
feelin' to hold you--to cling to you--not to let you go. Somethin' in my
heart keeps sayin', 'Don't let him go!'"

Johnson felt his knees sagging oddly beneath him. The Girl's sure
instinct of danger, the piteousness of their case, were making a coward
of him. He tore himself from her in a panic desire to go while he still
had the manhood to play his part to the end; then suddenly broke down
completely, and with his face buried in his hands, sobbed aloud.

"Why, Girl," he managed to say, brokenly, "it's been worth--the whole of
life just--to know you. You've brought me nearer Heaven,--you, to love a
man like me!"

"Don't say that, Oh, don't say that," she hastened to say with a great
tenderness in her voice. "S'pose you was only a road agent an' I was a
saloon keeper. We both came out o' nothin' an' we met, but through
lovin' we're goin' to reach things now--that's us. We had to be lifted
up like this to be saved."

Johnson tried to speak, but the words would not come. It was, therefore,
with a feeling of relief that, presently, he heard Nick at the door,
saying, "It's all clear now."

Johnson wheeled round, but Nick ha