"So did I, but she's thrown me over and gone away. This morning she sent
me a note of congratulation and farewell."

"Upon my word! What have you done to her?"

"Nothing. She says I don't need her any more now, so she's going away."

Doctor Jack paced back and forth on the veranda with his hands in his
pockets. "The darkly mysterious ways of the ever-feminine are wonderful
beyond the power of words to portray. Apparently you've had to choose
between your hand and hers."

"I'm not sure," returned Allison, thoughtfully, "that I wouldn't rather
have hers than mine."

"Brace up, old man. Get well and go after her. The world isn't big
enough to keep a man away from the woman he wants."

"But," answered Allison, dejectedly, "she doesn't care for me. It was
only womanly pity, and now that I don't need that, I've lost her."

"She doesn't care for you!" repeated the Doctor. "Why, man, how can you
sit there and tell a lie like that? Of course she cares!"

Allison turned to look at him in astonishment. "It isn't possible!"

"Isn't it? Then I don't know anything about human nature, though I must
confess I'm not up much on the feminine part of it. How long--"

"Just since the accident. The girl I was going to marry let me release