“I shouldn’t judge so. I should say he was in the early stage of a fever. He is terribly emaciated. He looks starved. The doctor will be here shortly. Meantime let me see if I can loosen his clothing a bit.” As he bent over the couch, Alice’s heart went out to him. He seemed so gentle and tender though he had no idea the man was not a stranger and probably believed him to be a tramp. As he put his arm beneath the sick man’s shoulders to change his position, the latter opened his eyes wide. Mr. Langley started but finished what he was about. The doctor came up and Mrs. Lorraine and Alice went below. After some little time Mr. Langley joined them. “It is probably pneumonia, or will be within a few hours,” he announced. “Dr. Porter will send for the ambulance and have him taken to the hospital at Wenham where he will have the best of care.” He turned to Alice with a kind look. “O mother, couldn’t we take him into the cottage and take care of him?” cried the girl beseechingly. “He is good and--O, so unfortunate, and--O if you knew something I know, you couldn’t refuse. And--if Mr. Langley knew--something else, he would beg you to.” Mr. Langley looked at the girl with an odd expression on his face. “The man’s eyes are exactly like those of a dear friend of mine who has been dead these six years,” he said keeping his own eyes upon her the while. “For a moment I forgot all and thought he was Dick Cartwright.” Alice wrung her hands. “Tell me, Alice Lorraine, who is the man above? Is it indeed Dick Cartwright?” he asked. “Yes, Mr. Langley, it is,” the girl owned with a great sense of relief. “He didn’t die. It was another man, but he gave him his name because he wished to be dead. He only came here to see you and Reuben. Then he was going back again. I--happened upon him one day and--after that I tried to help him. He is really----” Mr. Langley was half way up the stair. Mrs. Lorraine stopped him. “Tell the doctor we will take him into the cottage,” she bade him. “Alice and I will go right over to get a bed ready.” They got the bed ready and Mr. Langley and the doctor carried the sick man over, undressed him and got him into it. The doctor secured a nurse and Mr. Langley waited until she should come. Meanwhile Alice Lorraine related to him and to her mother the whole story Dick Cartwright had told her. Mrs. Lorraine remained at the cottage, while Alice returned to Miss Penny’s. When Mr. Langley took her over he told Miss Penny briefly who the sick man was, and they discussed the situation as it concerned Reuben, who was fortunately out of the house at that moment. They decided to say nothing to him until after Christmas when Mr. Langley would tell him the whole story. Reuben could then, if he wished, stay at the cottage for the remainder of his holidays.