“Not yet,” said Bonnie.  “I was going to ask you what would be the best way to do.  You see, I have to send back that money and the mileage.  Don’t you think it would do to write?  It costs a great deal to telegraph, and sounds so abrupt when one has had such a royal invitation.  It was lovely of her, but of course you know I couldn’t be under obligation like that to entire strangers.”

There was a little stiffness in Bonnie’s last words, and a cool withdrawal in her eyes that brought Courtland to his senses and made him remember Gila’s insinuations.

“Look here!” he said, calming down and taking his chair again.  “You don’t understand, and I guess I ought to explain.  In the first place get it out of your head that I’m acting fresh or anything like that.  I’m only a kind of big brother that happened along two or three times when you needed somebody—­a—­a kind of a Christ-brother, if you want to call it that way,” he added, snatching at the minister’s phrase.  “You believe He sends help when it’s needed, don’t you?”

Bonnie nodded.

“Well, I hadn’t an idea in the world of interfering with your affairs at all, but when I heard you ought to rest, I began to wish I had a mother of my own, or an aunt or something who would know what to advise.  Then all of a sudden I thought I’d just put the case up to Mother Marshall.  This is the result.  Now wait till I tell you what Mother Marshall has been through, and then if you don’t decide that God sent that invitation I’ve nothing else to say.”

Courtland had a reputation at college for eloquence.  In rushing season his frat. always counted on him to bowl over the doubtful and difficult fellows, and he never failed.  Neither did he fail now, although he found Bonnie difficult enough.  But he had her eyes full of tears of sympathy before he was through with the story of Stephen.

“Oh, I would love to see her and put my arms around her and try to comfort her!” she exclaimed.  “I know just how she must feel.  But I really couldn’t use the money of a stranger, and I couldn’t go away with all this debt, the funeral, and everything!”

Then he set carefully to work to plan for her.  He read Mother Marshall’s letter over again, and asked what things she would need to take if she should go.  He wrote out a list of the things she would like to sell, and promised to look after them.

“Suppose you just leave that to me,” he said, comfortingly.  “I’ll wager I can get enough out of your furniture to pay all the bills, so you won’t leave any behind.  Then if I were you I’d just use that check they’ve sent for your expenses, and trust to getting a position, in that neighborhood when you are strong enough.  There are always openings in the West, you know.”

“Do you really think I could do that?” asked Bonnie, excitedly.  “I’m a good stenographer, I’ve had a really fine musical education, and I could teach a number of other things.”