"Naw," growled the old German, stubbornly refusing to smile. "I toldt you it was no besser, don’t I?" The nurse drew out her hand. The smile left her face and she stood looking down on him with a helpless expression that spread to the faces of Elizabeth and Gusta. Koerner turned his head uneasily on the pillow and groaned. "What is it, pa?" asked Gusta. "Der rheumatiz’." "Where?" "In my leg. In der same oldt blace. Ach!" An expression of puzzled pain came to Gusta’s face. "Why," she said half-fearfully, "how can it--now?" She looked at the nurse. The nurse smiled again, this time with an air of superior knowledge. "They often have those sensations," she said, laughing. "It’s quite natural." Then she bent over Koerner and said cheerily: "I’m going now, and leave you with your daughter and Miss Ward." "Yes, pa," said Gusta, "Miss Elizabeth’s here to see you." She put into her tone all the appreciation of the honor she wished her father to feel. Elizabeth came forward, her gloved hands folded before her, and stood carefully away from the bed so that even her skirts should not touch it. "How do you do, Mr. Koerner?" she said in her soft voice--so different from the voices of the nurse and Gusta. Koerner turned and looked at her an instant, his mouth open, his tongue playing over his discolored teeth. "Hullo," he said, "you gom’ to see der oldt man, huh?" Elizabeth smiled. "Yes, I came to see how you were, and to know if there is anything I could do for you." "_Ach_," he said, "I’m all right. Dot leg he hurts yust der same efery day. Kesterday der’s somet’ing between der toes; dis time he’s got der damned oldt rheumatiz’, yust der same he used to ven he’s on dere all right." The old man then entered into a long description of his symptoms, and Elizabeth tried hard to smile and to sympathize. She succeeded in turning him from his subject presently, and then she said: "Is there anything you want, Mr. Koerner? I’d be so glad to get you anything, you know." "Vell, I like a schmoke alreadty, but she won’t let me. You know my oldt pipe, Gusta? Vell, I lose him by der accident dot night. He’s on der railroadt, I bet you." "Oh, we’ll get you another pipe, Mr. Koerner," said Elizabeth, laughing. "Isn’t there anything else?" "Naw," he said, "der railroadt gets me eferyt’ing. I work on dot roadt t’irty-seven year now a’readty. Dot man, dot--vat you call him?--dot glaim agent, he kum here kesterday, undt he say he get me eferyt’ing. He’s a fine man, dot glaim agent. He laugh undt choke mit me; he saidt der roadt gif me chob flaggin’ der grossing. All I yust do is to sign der baper--" "Oh, Mr. Koerner," cried Elizabeth in alarm, and Gusta, at her expression, started forward, and Koerner himself became all attention, "you did not sign any paper, did you?" The old man looked at her an instant, and then a soft shadowy smile touched his lips.