Hopkins is beyond belief, I shall be
cautious, and with your help shall keep him in ignorance of Mr. Hosley's
whereabouts. If he did tell a lie to my father about notifying the
officials, then let him come forward with the denial. But we must not be
too hard on the poor fellow; think how much more he has suffered than
Jim. Let us divide the beautiful flowers. Half the time let poor Benny
Hopkins gaze on these roses and orchids I send to Jim, and tell him,
too, my dear, that they come from me. Let us hear what he says. Perhaps
some day all will be clear to us again. Jim and Ben will again be
friends, and you will be our new-found friend, whom we shall all rejoice
in finding in our hour of need. How beautiful it will be then, and these
days of sorrow will be turned into pleasant memories! Poor Mr. Hopkins,
he does seem so low at times! Do you think he will get well?"

"I think he will," assured Hygeia. "Each day he rests a little better,
but his head is not clear. He wanders a good deal. But Dr. Hanley says
that condition will improve--in fact, it shows signs of improvement as
his temperature becomes more even."

"I do pray he will recover," said Gabrielle, sadly, shaking her head.
"Jim has such faith in him--laughs at my fears and bids me let him be
wheeled into Ben's room as soon as the doctors will allow us to go in
there, for he knows he can cheer him. Jim says Ben is so given to
sarcasm and joking that people who do not know him well misunderstand
him. I shall not allow it, however, as there is too much at risk. Jim
does not know all. If I am wrong in this, Ben Hopkins is responsible,
for he deceived my father and drove us all over there to Hoboken. What a
place for an exile! Jim laughs every time I tell him about it. Oh, such
a state of affairs, just as we had planned to be married!"

"Isn't it too bad!" exclaimed Hygeia. "Never mind; we shall all laugh
over it at the wedding, if I may be there."

"When everything comes out all right in our affairs, indeed you shall
be there. You shall be my bridesmaid; Nellie Gibson is to be my maid of
honor, and Benny Hopkins, Jim's best man. Won't it be grand! Let me tell
you about my gowns. I have nearly all of them ready. First there is
the--"

Here I shall leave them to talk of the trousseau. My notes on this
branch of the subject were gathered from Hygeia and are full enough to
give an adequate description. This I would do, but I am afraid I would
get tangled in the tra