“My happiest one,” she said as they descended, “is the making of a country home for little crippled children. I think I've found the spot--the old Fairmount place--it's not more than five miles from here. If I can only buy it at a reasonable figure--” “Mrs. Lessing!” he broke in. “So that's the sort of thing that makes your day-dreams! No wonder--well!--” “Why should you be surprised? Isn't that a delightful dream? If I can only make it come true--” “You can. Do you want a visiting surgeon?” “Of course I do. Will you--” “Why, Mrs. Lessing,” said he, stopping short just below her on the steep path and looking up into her face with eyes of eager pleasure, “that's been one of my dreams so long I can't remember when I began to think about it. But I haven't been able to finance it yet, nor to find time to get anybody else to do it. If you'll provide the place I'll do everything I can to make it a success. There are no less than four children this minute I'm longing to get into such a home. We'll go into partnership if you'll take me. I--why--you see, I can't even talk straight about it! And you--I thought you were a society woman!” “I am a society woman, I suppose,” she answered laughing, “though our ideas might differ as to what that term stands for. But why should that prevent my caring for this lovely plan?” “Evidently it doesn't. How many sides have you anyhow? I've found out two new ones to-day. Girl--and patron saint--” “Ah, don't make fun of me. I'm no girl and very far from any kind of saint. Please help me down this four-foot drop as if I were a very, very old lady, for my head is dizzy with joy that I've found somebody to care for my schemes.” He leaped down and held up his arms. “Come, grandma!” he invited, his face full of mischief and enthusiasm and happiness. “I think I'll play girl, after all,” she refused gaily and, accepting one hand only, swung herself lightly down to his side. “And it's 'bracers' the fellows think they need to put the heart back into them!” jeered Red Pepper Burns to himself. “Let them try the open country and a comrade like this--if there is another anywhere on earth! But they can't have her!” CHAPTER VII. IN WHICH HE CONTINUES TO SAW WOOD “Here you are at last, Red, you sinner, and I'm the loser. Ches and I've had a bet on since we saw the Green Imp tear off just as the first guests were coming. I vowed it was a fake call and you'd never get back till the musicians were green-flannelling their instruments.” “I knew he wouldn't do us a cut-away trick like that,” declared Arthur Chester with an affectionate, white-gloved hand on Burns's black-clad arm. “Not that I'd have blamed you on a night like this. What people want to give dances for in August, with the thermometer at the top of the tree, I don't know.”