er get a doctor to
come and kill me off,' and they said, 'You go over to Number Six and
meet the Dukes.'"

"They said lovely things about you," Carol told her, smiling. "And
they say you will be well in a few months,--that you haven't T. B.'s at
all yet, just premonitions."

The good news brought no answering light to the girl's face.

"They are nurses. You can't believe a word they say. It is their
business to build up false hopes."

"When any one tells me David is worse, I think, 'That is a wicked
story'; but when any one says, 'He is better,' I am ready to fall on my
knees and salute them as messengers from Heaven," said Carol.

One of the sudden dark clouds passed quickly overhead, obscuring the
glare of the sunshine, darkening the yellow sand.

"I hate this country," said Nancy Tucker. "I hate that yellow hot
sand, and the yellow hot sun, and the lights and shadows on the
mountains. I hate the mountains most of all. They look so abominably
cock-sure, so crowy, standing off there and glaring down on us as if
they were laughing at our silly little fight for health."

Carol was speechless, but David spoke up quickly.

"That is strange; Carol and I think it is a beautiful country,--the
broad stretch of the mesa, the blue cloud on the mountains, the shadow
in the canyons, and most of all, the sunshine on the slopes. We think
the fight against T. B.'s is like walking through the dark shade in the
canyons, and then suddenly stepping out on to the sunny slopes."

"I know you are a preacher. I suppose it is your business to talk like
that." Then when Carol and David only smiled excusingly, she said,
"Excuse me, I didn't mean to be rude. But it is hideous, and--I love
to be happy, and laugh,--"

"Go on and do it," urged David. "We've just been waiting to hear you
laugh."

"You should have been at the office with me," said Carol. "We laughed
until we were nearly helpless. It is that silly Mr. Gooding again,
David. He isn't very sick, Miss Tucker,--he just has red rales. I
don't know what red rales are, but when the nurses say that, it means
you aren't very sick and will soon be well. But Gooding is what he
calls 'hipped on himself.' He is always scared to death. He admits
it. Well, last night they had lobster salad, a silly thing to have in
a sanatorium. And Gooding ordered two extra helpings. The waiter
didn't want to give it to him, but Gooding is allowed anything he wants
so the waiter ga