g real to eat? Rosy says it's to-morrow and I say it's not yet
at all."

Doctor Craig turned and answered, and turned back again. He was not of
the composition of those who are balked of answers to their questions by
ill-timed interruptions. But the little diversion gave Georgiana an
instant's chance to make herself ready to answer like a woman and not
like a startled schoolgirl. So that when he repeated, his voice again
dropped:

"When, Georgiana?"

She was able to reply as quietly as she could have wished: "Do you want
to come, Doctor Craig?"

"I want to come. I have never wanted anything so much."

"Then--please do."

"Very soon? As soon as I can get away for a few hours? Perhaps next
week? It is always difficult, but if I plan ahead sometimes I can manage
to make almost the train I hope for."

She nodded. "Any train--anytime."

There was an instant's silence. It seemed to her that she could hear one
or two deep-drawn breaths from him. Then:

"Would you mind looking up just once more? I must go in a minute; I
can't even take you to your train."

But she answered, with an odd little trembling of the lips: "Please
don't ask me to. I'm--afraid!"

A low laugh replied to that. "So am I!" said Jefferson Craig.

He rose, and she rose with him. The others came around and he took leave
of them. His handclasp was all that Georgiana had for farewell, for when
she lifted her eyes she let them rest on his finely moulded chin. But
she knew that in spite of his expressed fear it was not her round little
chin he looked at, but the gleam of her dark eyes through their
sheltering lashes, and that his hand gave hers a pressure which carried
with it much meaning. It told her that which as yet she hardly dared
believe.

Since the journey home was made up of changes of trains, no sleeper was
possible, and Georgiana sat staring out of her car window while those
about her slumbered. There was too much to think of for sleep, if she
had wanted to sleep. She did not want to sleep, she wanted to live over
and over again those five minutes with their incredible revelation. And
as the wheels turned, the rhythm of their turning was set to one simple
phrase, the one which had sent her world whirling upside down and made
the stars leap out of their courses:

"When may I come?"

CHAPTER XXI

MESSAGES

Hope to reach Elmville at seven to-night.--E.C. JEFFERSON.

This was the first of them. When Georgiana received it s