In a moment she rose and gave him her hand. "It is very kind of you," said she. "If you can spare me five hundred dollars for an indefinite time I will take it." "Let me lend you a thousand," he urged. "I can do it without a bit of inconvenience." "I think that five hundred will be enough," she said. It carried her through that trouble and into others of which her woman's heart had found abundant signs in the attitude of Mr. Davis. He gave the most assiduous attention to the comfort of Bim and her mother. He had had a celebrated physician come down from Milwaukee to see Mrs. Kelso and had paid the bill in advance. He bought a new and wonderful swinging crib of burnished steel for the baby. "I can not let you be doing these things for us," Bim said one evening when he had called to see them. "And I can not help loving you and doing the little I can to express it," he answered. "There is no use in my trying to keep it from you when I find myself lying awake nights planning for your comfort. I would like to make every dollar I have tell you in some way that I love you. That's how I feel and you might as well know it." "You have been kind to us," Bim answered. "We feel it very deeply but I can not let you talk to me like that. I am a married woman." "We can fix that all right. It will be easy for you to get a divorce." "But I do not love you, Mr. Davis." "Let me try to make you love me," he pleaded. "Is there any reason why I shouldn't?" "Yes. If there were no other reason, I love a young soldier who is fighting in the Seminole War in Florida under Colonel Taylor." "Well, at least, you can let me take the place of your father and shield you from trouble when I can." "You are a most generous and kindly man!" Bim exclaimed with tears in her eyes. So he seemed to be, but he was one of those men who weave a spell like that of an able actor. He excited temporary convictions that began to change as soon as the curtain fell. He was in fact a performer. That little midnight scene at the City Hotel had sounded the keynote of his character. He was no reckless villain of romance. If he instigated the robbery of the south-bound mail wagon, of which the writer of this little history has no shadow of doubt, he was so careful about it that no evidence which would satisfy a jury has been discovered to this day. On account of the continued illness of her mother Bim was unable to resume her work in the academy. She took what sewing she could do at home and earned enough to solve the problems of each day. But the payment coming due on the house in December loomed ahead of them. It was natural, in the circumstances, that Mrs. Kelso should like Mr. Davis and favor his aims. Now and then he came and sat with her of an evening while Bim went out to the shops--an act of accommodation which various neighbor women were ever ready to perform. Mrs. Kelso's health had improved slowly so that she was able then to spend most of each day in her chair.