weeks."

"A friend is a great discovery and by these same tokens you have found
one."

"Truly, they have been more than kind."

"This makes the twelfth visit in six weeks," said the nurse. "In busy
harvest and threshing time, too. Do you know what that means?"

"To a certain extent. It is awfully good of them."

"But she is shy, shy--and I think she is afraid of YOU. Her chief
interest appears to be in the kitchen, which she has never failed to
visit."

The blood slowly rose in Cameron's face, from which the summer tan had
all been bleached by his six weeks' fight with fever, but he made no
reply to the brisk, sharp-eyed, sharp-minded little nurse.

"And I know she is dying to see you, and, indeed," she chuckled, "it
might do you good. She is truly wonderful." And again the nurse laughed.
"Don't you think you could bear a visit?" The smile broadened upon her
face.

But unaware she had touched a sensitive spot in her patient, his
Highland pride.

"I shall be more than pleased to have an opportunity to thank Miss Haley
for her great kindness," he replied with dignity.

"All right," replied the nurse. "I shall bring her in. Now don't excite
yourself. That fever is not so far away. And only a few minutes. When we
farmers go calling--I am a farmer, remember, and know them well--when we
go calling we take our knitting and spend the afternoon."

In a few moments she returned with Mandy. The difference between the
stout, red-faced, coarse-featured, obtrusively healthy country girl,
heavy of foot and hand, slow of speech and awkward of manner, and
the neat, quick, deft-fingered, bright-faced nurse was so marked that
Cameron could hardly control the wave of pity that swept through his
heart, for he could see that even Mandy herself was vividly aware of the
contrast. In vain Cameron tried to put her at her ease. She simply sat
and stared, now at the walls, now at the floor, refusing for a time to
utter more than monosyllables, punctuated with giggles.

"I want to thank you for the eggs and cream. They are fine," said
Cameron heartily.

"Oh, pshaw, that's nothin'! Lots more where they come from," replied
Mandy with a giggle.

"But it's a long way for you to drive; and in the busy time too."

"Oh, we had to come in anyway for things," replied Mandy, making light
of her service.

"You are all well?"

"Oh, pretty middlin'. Ma ain't right smart. She's too much to do, and
that's the truth."

"And the boys?" Cam