was such a man for reading as Jim."

"Why," asked the Judge, "do you not marry this man to whom you have
devoted your youthful life?"

"Well, you see," said Miggles, "it would be playing it rather low down
on Jim to take advantage of his being so helpless. And then, too, if
we were man and wife, now, we'd both know that I was _bound_ to do what
I do now of my own accord."

"But you are young yet and attractive"--

"It's getting late," said Miggles gravely, "and you'd better all turn
in. Good-night, boys;" and throwing the blanket over her head,
Miggles laid herself down beside Jim's chair, her head pillowed on the
low stool that held his feet, and spoke no more. The fire slowly faded
from the hearth; we each sought our blankets in silence; and presently
there was no sound in the long room but the pattering of the rain
upon the roof and the heavy breathing of the sleepers.

It was nearly morning when I awoke from a troubled dream. The storm
had passed, the stars were shining, and through the shutterless window
the full moon, lifting itself over the solemn pines without, looked
into the room. It touched the lonely figure in the chair with an
infinite compassion, and seemed to baptize with a shining flood the
lowly head of the woman whose hair, as in the sweet old story, bathed
the feet of him she loved. It even lent a kindly poetry to the rugged
outline of Yuba Bill, half reclining on his elbow between them and his
passengers, with savagely patient eyes keeping watch and ward. And
then I fell asleep and only woke at broad day, with Yuba Bill standing