"Thank you," she replied, drawing farther back into the room ; "but the
Jackson Street cars are very convenient."

"Nevertheless, I should prefer to have you come with me," he insisted.

"But I do not wish to," she repeated quietly; "besides, I have decided to
stay."

"That settles it, then," smiled Kemp; and shaking her hand, he went out
alone.

"When my lady will, she will; and when she won't, she won't," he mused,
gathering up his reins. But the terminal point to the thought was a smile.

Ruth, thus left alone, seated herself on the one other chair near the foot
of the bed. Strange to say, though she gazed at Bob, her thoughts had
flown out of the room. She was dimly conscious that she was pleasantly
excited. Had she cared to look the cause boldly in the face, she would
have known that Miss Ruth Levice's vanity had been highly fed by Dr. Kemp's
unmistakable desire for her assistance. He must at least have looked at
her with friendly eyes; but here her modesty drew a line even for herself,
and giving herself a mental shake, she saw that two lambent brown eyes were
looking wonderingly at her from the face of the sick lad.

"How do you feel now, Bob?" she asked, rising immediately and smiling down
at him.

The boy forgot to answer.

"The doctor brought me here," she went on brightly; "but as you were