nurse, and another prostrate patient.

"Ephraim! Ephraim! You poor, dear, precious darling!"

She was beside him, her arms about his neck, her tears and kisses raining
on his wrinkled face--a face that a moment before had been full of
sadness and impatience, but was now brimming with delight.

"Little Lady! Little captain! I'm a pretty sort of a guardeen, I am!
But, thank God, I'm not the only man in the world, and you've found
them that can help you more than I could, with all my smartness. Did you
hear about that turn-tail, Stiffleg? Wasn't that enough to make a man
disgusted with horseflesh forever after? Ugh! I wish I had him, I'd
larrup him crossing before the 'accident' alley beside the main well!
And to think you, Cassius Trent's daughter, spent your first night in
town at a station-house! Child, I'll never dare to go home and face the
'boys' again, after that. Never."

"Don't talk too much, sir," cautioned the nurse, offering her patient
a spoonful of some nourishment.

"No, Ephraim, I'll talk. Oh! what wouldn't Aunt Sally give to be here
now! To think she's lost such a chance for dosing you!"

"Forty-niner" laughed and the laughter did him good; though he soon
explained: "They say I'll have to lie here for nobody knows how
long, without moving, scarcely. That pesky old leg of mine did the job
up thorough, while it was at it. Thought it might as well be hung for
a sheep as a lamb, I s'pose. Well, it was the luckiest thing ever
happened--you getting lost and me getting hurt. That's the only way to
look at it. But--Atlantic! How'm I ever going to stand it? Having other
folks do for you and I, that'd give my right hand to help you--useless."

"Easily, Ephraim. If it's a good thing, as you say, why then it can't
be a bad one. Here's your money. You must use it to pay for anything
you want. Or give it all to Mr. Hale about the business. You know."

"Money! I don't want that. All I had they took away from me. Put it in
the hospital safe till I'm ready to go out. But you can't live in a
city without hard cash in every pocket. Oh! dear! I don't see what is
to be done! One minute it all is clear and I think what I said about my
accident being lucky for you; the next--I can't stand it. What is to
become of you, little captain?"

"I'm going to stay right here with you."

"You are? You will?" demanded the patient, eagerly. "You wouldn't
be afraid? But, maybe, you wouldn't be allowed. Hospitals are for sick
folks