When he woke it was morning and grey clouds were drifting across the sky. Within sight, down a road, a trolley car went past into the city. Before him, in the midst of the marsh, lay a low lake, and a raised walk, with boats tied to the posts on which it stood, ran down to the water. He went down the walk, bathed his bruised face in the water, and boarding a car went back into the city. In the morning air a new thought took possession of him. The wind ran along a dusty road beside the car track, picking up little handfuls of dust and playfully throwing them about. He had a strained, eager feeling like some one listening for a faint call out of the distance. “To be sure,” he thought, “I know what it is, it is my wedding day. I am to marry Sue Rainey to-day.” At the house he found Grover and Colonel Tom standing in the breakfast room. Grover looked at his swollen, distorted face. His voice trembled. “Poor devil!” he said. “You have had a night!” Sam laughed and slapped Colonel Tom on the shoulder. “We will have to begin getting ready,” he said. “The wedding is at ten. Sue will be getting anxious.” Grover and Colonel Tom took him by the arm and began leading him up the stairs, Colonel Tom weeping like a woman. “Silly old fool,” thought Sam. When, two weeks later, he again opened his eyes to consciousness Sue sat beside his bed in a reclining chair, her little thin white hand in his. “Get the baby!” he cried, believing anything possible. “I want to see the baby!” She laid her head down on the pillow. “It was gone when you saw it,” she said, and put an arm about his neck. When the nurse came back she found them, their heads together upon the pillow, crying weakly like two tired children. CHAPTER VIII The blow given the plan of life so carefully thought out and so eagerly accepted by the young McPhersons threw them back upon themselves. For several years they had been living upon a hill top, taking themselves very seriously and more than a little preening themselves with the thought that they were two very unusual and thoughtful people engaged upon a worthy and ennobling enterprise. Sitting in their corner immersed in admiration of their own purposes and in the thoughts of the vigorous, disciplined, new life they were to give the world by the combined efficiency of their two bodies and minds they were, at a word and a shake of the head from Doctor Grover, compelled to remake the outline of their future together.