rown to feel that you are the only real friend he has ever known."

"I'll do my best," he answered, soberly.

Bivens's joy at meeting Stuart was pathetic, and moved him deeply. He
was surprised to find him so strong, apparently, in body and yet so
broken in spirit.

"Lord, it's good to look into your face again, Jim! You know I haven't
seen you really since that day in court when you gave me such a
cussin'. But it was all in your day's work. It hurt for the minute, but
I didn't blame you when I thought it over. Now I'm up against the
biggest thing I've ever struck." His voice sank to a half sob. "Death!
I can feel his hand on my throat, but I'm going to fight; I've got to
get well."

The little shrunken hand clung to his friend's.

"You know I felt the thing creeping on me for the past two years, but I
couldn't let up. That's why I tried so hard to put some of the load on
your shoulders. At least you can help me to get well. To the devil with
the doctors! I'm tired, too, of all the sycophants, liars and fools who
hang around. I didn't mind 'em when I was well. But they get on my
nerves now. The doctors kept dinning into my ears that I've got to rest
and play and finally one old duffer over in France put an idea into my
head that brought me back home to see you. He told me to get on a small
boat with a single nurse and a congenial friend, get away from land,
cut every telephone and telegraph line, get no mail, and shoot ducks
all winter and he'd guarantee I'd be a new man next spring. I took to
the idea. He charged me two dollars for the visit. I paid him a hundred
for his advice. He nearly dropped dead in surprise. I thought it was
from gratitude, but found afterward it was from chagrin over not
knowing I was an American millionaire. He had missed the opportunity of
his life. He would undoubtedly have charged me five hundred had he
known who I was."

Stuart laughed.

"Well, the upshot of it is, I'm here, and I've sent for you to accept
the invitation you gave me to shoot ducks with you down in Virginia."

"What invitation?" Stuart asked in surprise.

"Why, the one you used to reproach me for not accepting. Will you go
with me now?"

Stuart shook his head.

"I can't go," he said slowly.

He was looking vaguely into the fire in the grate, but Nan's figure was
within the line of his vision as she stood silently by the window
gazing out on the river. Bivens hadn't said that she must go on that
trip, but in a