it, and, unwelcomed, was coming up the path. His surprised glance
brought her tumultuous and apologetic explanation.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" he said kindly; "I must console him with a new
dollar; don't you think a dollar will be healing?"

She laughed and possessed herself of his hand.

"You run a sort of hospital, Nelly, don't you? I must be a Jonah; it
was your cook the last time. How is she? I trust we are to have enough
food to sustain life?"

"I meant to have such a fine dinner," she said, "but we've all been so
distracted about David, I'm afraid things won't be as extraordinary as
I planned. However, it will 'sustain life'!--Though you could go to
Dr. King's again," she ended gayly.

The instant irritation in his face sobered her. She began, carefully,
to talk of this or that: his journey, the Mercer business, his
health--anything to make him smile again. Plainly, it was not the
moment to speak of Mr. Benjamin Wright and her purpose of leaving Old
Chester.

"Now I must run up-stairs just one minute, and see David," she said in
the middle of a sentence. Her minute lengthened to ten, but when she
came back, explaining that she had stopped to wash David's face--"it
was all stained by tears"--he did not seem impatient.

"Your own would be improved by soap and water, my dear," he said with
an amused look. "No! no--don't go now; I want to talk to you, and I