placing her hand on his arm. "Don't try to say anything. It's not your
fault--it's not either of our faults. Now tell me what you think the
best thing is to do, and, you'll see, I'll make the best of it--there's
no use being miserable about it."

"You're a game little woman!" he said earnestly, quite unnecessarily
clasping the hand on his arm and wringing it to endorse his verdict.
"And that makes it a lot easier, you know. Well then, we might as well
face the whole truth at one fell swoop. We're up against it"--he laughed
cheerfully--"hard. It's miles to anywhere--we don't know where
'anywhere' is--and of course you can't walk aimlessly around in the mud
and rain."

"N--no," she said thoughtfully. "I suppose there's no sense in that."

"And of course you can't sit out here in the wet all night."

"That sounds comforting--propitious even," commented Helena.

"Quite!" agreed Thornton, laughing again. "Well, you wait here a moment,
and I'll see if I can't knock up some sort of shelter--I used to be
pretty good at that sort of thing."

"And I'll help," announced Helena, preparing to get out.

"By keeping at least your feet dry," he amended. "No--please. Just stay
where you are, Miss Vail. You'll get as much protection here from the
branches overhead as you will anywhere meanwhile, and you'll be more
comfortable."