One looking at her needed not to be told of her danger, or of the peril there was in exciting her; and Jerrie felt a cold thrill creep over her as she went to the couch, and kneeling beside it, kissed the pale, quivering lips and smoothed the dark hair, while she tried to speak naturally and cheerfully, as if in her mind there was no thought of danger to the beautiful girl, who smiled so lovingly upon her and kept caressing her hands and her face, as if she would thus express her gladness to see her.

‘I know all about it, Maude,’ Jerrie said.  ’Tom told me, and your mother.  You tired yourself out for me.  Hush!  Don’t speak, or I shall go away,’ she continued, as she saw Maude’s lips move.  ’You are not to talk.  You are to listen, just for a day or two, and then you will he better, and come to the cottage and see my lovely room.  It is so pretty, and I like it so much, and thank you and Harold so much.  He has gone to the Allen farm to-day to paint,’ she said, in answer to an eager questioning look in Maude’s eyes.  ’He does not know you are sick.  He will come when he can see you—­to-morrow, maybe.  Would you like to have him?’

A warm pressure of the hand was Maude’s reply, as the moisture gathered upon her heavy eyelashes.  But Jerrie kissed it away, though her own hot tears fell upon Maude’s hair, which, however, was so thick that she did not feel them; nor did she dream what it cost Jerrie to sit there and tell her everything of Harold which she could think of, because she knew that would please the sick girl better.  Once she made Maude laugh, as she took off little Billy, imitating his voice so perfectly that a person outside would have said he was in the room.  Jerrie’s talent for imitation and ventriloquism had not deserted her, although as she grew older, she did not so often practice it as when a child; but she brought it into full play now to amuse Maude, and imitated every individual of whom she spoke, except Arthur.  He was the one person whose peculiarities she could not take off.

‘I have been to Mr. Arthur’s room,’ she said, ’but it seems so desolate without him.  Do you hear from him often?’

’I have only had one letter, and then he was in Salt Lake City, at the Continental, in a room which he said was big enough for three rooms, and had not a single bad smell in it, except the curtains, which were new, and in which he did detect a little odor.’

Here Maude laughed again, while there came into her face a faint color and a look which made Jerrie’s breath come quickly as, for the first time, the thought flashed across her mind that if what she had been foolish enough to dream of were true Maude was her cousin—­her own flesh and blood.

‘Maude,’ she said suddenly, with a strong desire to fold the frail little body in her arms and tell her what she had thought.

But when Maude looked up inquiringly at her she only put her head down upon the rose-colored shawl and began to cry.  Then, regardless of consequences, Maude raised herself upon her elbow, and laying her face on Jerrie’s head began herself to cry piteously.