One day the General met him in the street. The old soldier wore a troubled look. "She's sick," he said without preamble. "Got pains all over her and chills, too." "Is it serious?" demanded Eddie. "I don't know. Neither does the doctor. He's waiting for developments. Took a culture to-day. She's in bed, however." "SHE MUST NOT DIE," said Eddie, a desperate gleam in his eye. "I--can't afford to have anything like that happen now. Can't she be vaccinated?" At the end of the second day thereafter it was known all over town that Martha Gamble was ill with typhoid fever. She was running a temperature of 104 degrees and two doctors had come up from New York to consult with the Essex physician, bringing with them a couple of trained nurses. They said her heart was good. After the consultation, the General and Eddie sat alone in the library, woebegone and disconsolate. "They think they can pull her through," said the former vaguely. "Curse 'em," grated Eddie; "they've GOT to do it. If there is the least prospect of her dying, General, I must insist that the wedding day be moved forward. I'll--I'll marry her to-day. By Jove, it might go a long way toward reducing her temperature." "Impossible! We shall stick to the original agreement." "Confound you, I believe you are hoping she'll die before the eleventh of November. It would be just like you, General Gamble." "I'm not hoping for anything of the sort, sir," thundered the other. "But, if it SHOULD happen--" He did not finish the sentence, but there was a green light in his eyes. Eddie was silent for many minutes. "And if she SHOULD die, where do I come in, or get off, or whatever is the proper thing to say in the circumstances? It wouldn't be fair to me, General Gamble. You know it wouldn't. It would be a damned outrage. Here am I, a devoted lover, eager to make her happy--to MAKE HER LAST MOMENTS happy ones, mind you, and you sit there and deny her the consolation of--" "All's fair in love, my boy," said the General blandly. "Rats!" "Martha wasn't strong enough to stand the excitement. It was like a sudden and frightful change in the weather. Her constitution couldn't fight it off." "Constitution? Good Lord!" "We ought to make allowances, my boy." "I am in no position to make allowances. Are these doctors any good?" "The best in New York City." "And the nurses? Everything depends on good nursing." "They are real Canadians." "General, up to the time I was eleven years old I said my prayers every night. I'm going to begin again to-night," said Eddie solemnly, as he passed his hand across his brow.