Floyd held out his hand and raised himself slowly up.

“Look, Brother Horace!” he cried eagerly.  “Look—­just this morning I’ve been able to stand up!  Sister Ann says in a few days I can walk.”

Horace held the thin, white fingers in his for an instant.

“So you will, boy.  It won’t be long before you can get out.”

The words startled Fledra.  Not until the trouble of Lon’s coming had she wished that Floyd might linger in the sickroom.  The man outside, watching every movement in the house, frightened her.  She knew that when her brother was well enough he and she would be called away for the court’s decision as to their future.

“Floyd, will you spare your sister just a few moments?  I want to talk with her.”

“Course I will, Brother Horace.  Scoot along, Fledra!”

“This way, child,” whispered Horace.  “I’ve something—­oh, such a dear something!—­to say to you.”

They quietly passed the deputy, who only raised his eyes, smiled at Fledra, and dropped his gaze again to his paper.  When Horace’s door was closed, Horace took Fledra into his embrace and kissed her again and again.  She loved the warmth of his arms, and the delight of his kisses caused her to rest unresisting until he chose to speak.

“Fledra, dear, will you marry me—­immediately?”

His question brought her to rigidity.

“You mean—­”

“I mean that all our troubles are going away.”

Fledra drew slowly from him.

“How can our troubles go away?” she asked.

“By your consenting.”

“I told you once, and more than once, that I couldn’t tell you.  Won’t you ever understand?”

But Horace did not loosen his hold upon her.  He drew the dark head against him tenderly.

“You misunderstood, Fledra.  I am going to trust you in everything.  I am going to put all my faith in you, and to save you and your brother from a fearful life.  I must make you my wife!”

Fledra drew a long breath.  All the stumbling petitions she had made to Heaven were answered by those few words.  At last, to be Horace’s wife, to save Flukey, and to protect Ann, who would now have back her lover!  It seemed to the young girl, in this flashing moment of thought, that all the clouds of the last few months had floated over their heads and away.

“It will take a few days before I can arrange our marriage,” explained Horace.  “One reason for not arranging today is that I have to run down to New York for two or three days; and then, too, I must be careful not to let anyone know of our plans.  I want you to talk with my sister.  I have told her that I love you.”

“Was she sorry?” whispered Fledra.

“No—­very, very glad!”

“And can I tell Floyd?”

“Yes, just as soon as you like.  I have an idea your happiness will go far to make him well.”

* * * * *