, and you all talk a lot of pasty foolishness for five minutes
and then you shake hands and leave. That doesn't help any. See her alone
if only for a minute, Herrick; give yourselves a chance; bless my soul,
lad, don't you realize that you can't risk spoiling two lives for the
want of a moment's determination? If it's pride, put it in your pocket!"

"I'd do anything," replied Wade, with a little laugh, "if I thought it
could do any good. The fact is, Doctor, I'm pretty certain that the
other fellow is too strong for me."

"The other fellow! I don't believe there is or has been another fellow!
I'd bet my bottom dollar that you two young folks care for each other.
You've gone and made a mess of things between you, and damned if I don't
think it's my duty to meddle!"

"Please don't," said Wade. "It's good of you to want to help,
but--what's the use of talking about it? Miss Walton knows her own
mind--"

"She didn't a couple of days ago," said the Doctor, gruffly. "She asked
my advice about you. I told her to take you if she wanted you, and she
said she didn't know whether she did or didn't."

"She seems to have found out since then," said Wade, dryly.

"It must have been sudden, then. Look here, was there any quarrel? Any
misunderstanding?"

"None. I haven't spoken to her since Saturday night."

"Well, it beats me," said the Doctor, leaning over to knock the ashes
from his pipe. "I'm plumb certain she cares for you, and just as certain
that you're making a mistake by running away." He stood up and scowled
fiercely at the moon. "Well, I must be off. I'll see you to-morrow.
You're not going until afternoon, you said?"

"I leave here about two," said Wade. "I shall spend to-morrow night in
Boston and take a morning train west."

"Well, you know my opinion," the Doctor growled. "Sleep on it; think it
over again. Good night."

After the Doctor had gone Wade sat for a while longer on the porch. He
didn't feel the least bit sleepy, and the Doctor had shaken his
determination in spite of himself. Supposing, after all--then he shook
his head and sighed. There was the note. He fumbled in his pocket and
found it and looked at it in the moonlight. There was no use in
imagining things when that sheet of paper stared him in the face. He
strove to reread the message, but the light was too faint. He folded it
again, started to drop it back in his pocket, hesitated, and then tore
it savagely into tiny bits and tossed it over t