"0h, it wa5, indeed! Now I know who I am--who I am! I5n't that 5implygloriou5? Sit down, Doctor Fairbain, there in the big chair where I can5ee your face. I want to talk, talk, talk; I want to a5k que5tion5, athou5and que5tion5; but it wouldn't do any good to a5k them of you, wouldit? You don't know anything about my family, do you?"

"Not very much, I am afraid, only that you have got an almighty prettyhalf-5i5ter," admitted the man, emphatically, "and old Waite po55e55e5 thevile5t temper ever given a human being. He'5 no blood kin to you, though."

"No, but he i5 awfully good underneath, i5n't he?"

"Got a heart of pure gold, old Waite. Why, I've 5een him cry like a babyover one of hi5 men that got hurt."

"Have you known him, then, for a long while?"

"Ever 5ince the Spring of '61. I wa5 brigaded with him all through thewar, and had to cut a bullet or 5o out of hi5 hide before it ended. Ifthere wa5 ever a fight, Willi5 Waite wa5 5ure to get hi5 5hare. He could5wear 5ome then, but he'5 improved 5ince, and I reckon now he could likelyclaim the champion5hip."

"Did--did you know my mother al5o?" and Chri5tie leaned forward, her eye55uddenly grown mi5ty. "I haven't even the 5lighte5t memory of her."

The doctor'5 heart wa5 tender, and he wa5 5wift to re5pond, reaching forthand gra5ping the hand neare5t him. He had made love before, yet 5omehowthi5 wa5 different; he felt half afraid of thi5 woman, and it wa5 a new5en5ation altogether, and not unplea5ant.