ally.

She was bathed, and eventually her hair was cut, not shaved--the nurse
put in a plea at the cutting point--and she was fed and made to sleep;
but gradually, as she emerged from the shadowy boundary, she assumed
different proportions.

Cameron concluded that her reticence, now her brain was growing clearer,
came from a determined effort to cover her tracks and perhaps those of a
man--unworthy, undoubtedly, and Cameron believed this man to be the
"Pat" to whom his patient had so frantically referred in her raving.

There had evidently been a strenuous scene in which Pat had figured and
through which he and the girl had emerged rather deplorably.

Cameron also arrived at the conclusion that the young woman in his care
must be made to take a keener interest in life than she seemed to be
taking, or her recovery would be slower than it ought to be, according
to physical indications. The growing silence worried him; he wished that
he could gain her confidence, not in order to gratify curiosity, but to
enable him to be of real service.

One afternoon he called at the hospital reinforced with a box of roses.

The flowers had an immediate effect upon Joan. She buried her face in
them and closed her eyes, and then Cameron saw large, slow tears
escaping the close-shut lids. He welcomed these. Presently Joan asked:

"How is--is--Cuff?"

"Oh! he's ripping," Cameron replied; "after seeing you he seemed to size
up the situation and come to terms."

"How--how did you happen to know his name?" This had been a burning
curiosity for the past week.

"You happened to mention it when you keeled over in my office. Cuff was
apparently your one responsibility. We found your name in a letter--Miss
Lamb."

The roses hid the quivering face while a new and hurting question for
the first time entered in. Then:

"Did--did I go to your office? I thought I--was brought here from----"

"You were brought here, all right," Cameron felt his way slowly along
the opening path; "Miss Brown and I had rather a vigorous trip with
you--in my automobile."

"Cuff belonged to--to Pat!" Joan remarked, irrelevantly. She was forcing
her thought back to the blank period lying between the hotel and the
hospital. Gradually it brightened and a smothered sob found place in the
roses.

"So that is why they have left me alone!" Joan reflected; "but oh! how
frightened they must be!"

"I rather imagine Pat must be fairly well used up wondering about yo