“You have been better to me than any one on earth,” she said, vehemently, her eyes burning into his. “You have often said there was no gratitude in the world, so I won’t say I would like to prove my gratitude to you, but some day--I’ll wait. The day will come when I can show you what I feel.” “My dear child,” he said, softly, his eyes moist, for he was much touched by the girl’s words, “only be happy and that knowledge will make me happier.” Dido looked down and was silent. Presently two tears chased each other down over her cheeks and splashed on her slender hands, folded pathetically in her lap. “Why, Dido, child!” Dick said, startled. She raised her brown eyes, wet with tears, to his frank blue ones, and her lips were quivering pitifully. He took her hands, patting them soothingly, not daring to say a word. “T-they _would_ come,” she faltered, her mouth bravely smiling while her eyes were filling with tears. “I--I could not help it.” He still said nothing, but kept on patting her hands, half embarrassed now. “I was so--so wretched until you found me, and I’ve been so happy since, that--that I couldn’t quite bear--your words.” “I hope I did not speak roughly,” poor, blind Dick said, hardly understanding her grief. In his separation from her he was losing nothing, but she--poor child--she was losing everything. “No--that’s it. You are so kind,” she faltered. “Don’t, please, don’t mind me. I am so foolish. I am always crying, don’t you think?” She looked up at him with a sad, little smile that made his heart ache, he hardly knew why. “Will you promise me something, Dido?” he asked, suddenly. “Yes,” she answered, simply. “Promise that you will try to be happy; that you will never cherish blue thoughts, no difference what happens. Let ill-luck frown on you all it wishes. Laugh at it; laugh in it’s face until your laughter makes it smile. Promise me to do this?” “Is that what you do?” she asked, evasively. “Well, I don’t know. But what difference! I don’t get as low in spirits as you do. Won’t you promise?” “You have brought me happiness. I promise if I get blue to think of you. Will that do?” she asked, seriously. “I don’t know,” he said, half provoked, but he urged no further. And these two young people, whose barks had floated side by side on the stream of life for a brief time, were drifting apart. Mentally they were taking farewell, for they knew that, if even for a few days, they remained yet in sight or call, still their course lay so widely apart that they might never hope to float near each other again. So they silently left the place where they had spent their last evening together and went out on the street into the cool quiet night.