d shoulders. Tears brimmed over her soft eyes.

The Arizonan ran her up to his floor in the automatic elevator.

"I've got a friend from home stayin' with me. He's the best-hearted
fellow you ever saw. You'll sure like him," he told her without stress
as he fitted his key to the lock.

He felt her shrink beneath his coat, but it was too late to draw back
now. In another moment Lindsay was introducing her casually to the
embarrassed and astonished joint proprietor of the apartment.

The Runt was coatless and in his stockinged-feet. He had been playing
a doleful ditty on a mouth-organ. Caught so unexpectedly, he blushed a
beautiful brick red to his neck.

Johnnie ducked his head and scraped the carpet with his foot in an
attempt at a bow. "Glad to meet up with you-all, Miss. Hope you're
feelin' tol'able."

Clay slipped the coat from her shoulders and saw that the girl was wet
to the skin.

"Heat some water, Johnnie, and make a good stiff toddy. Miss Kitty has
been out in the rain."

He lit the gas-log and from his bedroom brought towels, a bathrobe,
pajamas, a sweater, and woolen slippers. On a lounge before the fire
he dumped the clothes he had gathered. He drew up the easiest armchair
in the room.

"I'm goin' to the kitchen to jack up Johnnie so he won't lay down on
his job," he told her cheerily. "You take yore time and get into these
dry clothes. We'll not disturb you till you knock. After that we'll
feed you some chuck. You want to brag on Johnnie's cookin'. He thinks
he's it when it comes to monkeyin' 'round a stove."

When her timid knock came her host brought in a steaming cup. "You
drink this. It'll warm you good."

"What is it?" she asked shyly.

"Medicine," he smiled. "Doctor's orders."

While she sipped the toddy Johnnie brought from the kitchen a tray upon
which were tea, fried potatoes, ham, eggs, and buttered toast.

The girl ate ravenously. It was an easy guess that she had not before
tasted food that day.

Clay kept up a flow of talk, mostly about Johnnie's culinary triumphs.
Meanwhile he made up a bed on the couch.

Once she looked up at him, her throat swollen with emotion. "You're
good."

"Sho! We been needin' a li'l' sister to brace up our manners for us.
It's lucky for us I found you. Now I expect you're tired and sleepy.
We fixed up yore bed in here because it's warmer. You'll be able to
make out with it all right. The springs are good." Clay left her