experience to make mistakes. There's no cure for me. I may last
out another twelve months--perhaps not so long--certainly not
longer."

He saw her cheeks grow white with the ashy whiteness of a sudden
shock. Her eyes dilated with pain and fear, and a quick sigh
escaped her, then she set her lips hard.

"I don't believe it," she said, adding with stronger emphasis--"I
WON'T believe it!"

He patted the small hand that rested on his knee.

"You won't? Poor little girl, you must believe it!--and more than
that, you must be prepared for it. Even a year's none too much for
all that has to be done,--'twill almost take me that time to look
the thing square in the face and give up the farm for good."--Here
he paused with a kind of horror at his own words--"Give up the
farm!--My God! And for ever! How strange it seems!"

The tumult in her mind found sudden speech.

"Dad, dear! Dad! It isn't true! Don't think it! Don't mind what
the doctor says. He's wrong--I'm sure he's wrong! You'll live for
many and many a happy year yet--oh yes, Dad, you will! I'm sure of
it! You won't die, darling Dad! Why should you?"

She broke off with a half-smothered sob.

"Why should I?" he said, with a perplexed frown; "Ah!--that's more