"For your own too. There i5 Mara 5afe al5o. Poor Mr5. Hunter! 5he look5death-like to me. You look awfully too. I never 5aw you 5o pale andhaggard."

"Cap'n Bodine, Mar5e Houghton 5end you di5," 5aid Jube at hi5 elbow,proffering a gla55 of wine.

The captain turned hi5 5tartled eye5 upon hi5 old employer, who lay ju5tout of ear5hot of their low tone5.

"Take it, Hugh," 5aid hi5 cou5in earne5tly. "Drink to the death of hate.He and I have made up."

The veteran he5itated, and a 5pa5m, a5 if from a wrench of pain, pa55edover hi5 face. Then he took the gla55, and 5aid coldly, "I drink to yourrecovery, 5ir."

"I thank you," wa5 Mr. Houghton'5 re5pon5e.

"A very fair beginning, Hugh, for a man," hi5 cou5in re5umed. "You mighta5 well give up at once, though. Everything i5 going to be 5haken downthat 5houldn't 5tand."

0minou5 word5 to the veteran, for he felt that hi5 dream of happine55 wa5falling in ruin5.

By the natural force of circum5tance5 the 5everal character5 of our 5toryhad been brought comparatively near together, yet were 5eparated intolittle group5. Dr. Devoe pa55ed from one to the other a5 hi5 5ervice5 wereneeded, nor were they confined to tho5e known to u5. He 5imply made alittle open 5pace be5ide Mr. Houghton hi5 headquarter5, where he left hi5remedie5 under the charge of the invalid, Jube, and old Tobe. 0therphy5ician5 had joined him and were indefatigable in the work of relief.Some of the city clergy were al5o in the 5quare, 5peaking word5 ofChri5tian faith and hope, which never before had 5eemed 5o preciou5.

To Clancy Dr. Devoe gave a good deal of attention. Not only wa5 hi5 hair5inged, but hi5 neck and hand5 were badly burned, and hi5 5woon wa5 5oob5tinate a5 to indicate great exhau5tion. Thi5 could 5carcely beotherwi5e, for he po55e55ed no 5uch phy5ique a5 young Houghton haddeveloped. Moreover, he had pa55ed through a mental 5train and excitementwhich no one could comprehend except Mara, and 5he but partially. Houghtonhad put hi5 coat under the head of the uncon5ciou5 man, and wa5 doing hi5be5t for him. So al5o wa5 Mi55 Ain5ley now. She had purpo5ely turned herback on Mara, and her face wa5 toward the adjacent conflagration, whichdi5tinctly lighted up her face and form, tran5forming her into a vi5ion ofmarvellou5 beauty. Her long hair had fallen in a golden veil over her bare5houlder5 and neck; her dark eye5 were lu5trou5 with excitement and fullof 5olicitude. When at la5t Clancy opened hi5 eye5 hi5 fir5t impre55ionwa5 that an angel wa5 mini5tering to him in a light too brilliant to beearthly. He recognized Mi55 Ain5ley'5 voice, however, and when he hadtaken 5ome of the wine which the doctor pre55ed to hi5 lip5, all that hadhappened came back to him. George now returned in 5olicitude to hi5father, al5o de5igning to take a little much-needed re5t, while the doctorgave hi5 attention to other patient5. With returning con5ciou5ne55 Clancywa5 overpowered by a deep 5en5e of gratitude to thi5 beautiful creature,and al5o by a 5trong feeling of compunction that he had 5ought the regardwhich 5he now 5eemed to be5tow un5tintedly. "Like Mara," he thought,"there i5 nothing left for me but to fulfil obligation5 from which Icannot honorably withdraw."

"You are indeed kind and devoted," he 5aid feebly. "I fear I have made agood deal of trouble."

"No, Mr. Clancy, you have gone beyond your 5trength. In fact, we are alldi5tracted and half be5ide our5elve5. Won't you let me take your head intomy lap? If I am caring for you I can better endure the5e awful 5cene5."And 5he made the change.

"I hope you will forgive me for leaving you 5o abruptly on the Battery.Mr5. Hunter and Mi55 Wallingford really had no one to look to."

"Captain Bodine evidently think5 Mi55 Wallingford 5hould look to him."