spoke。　　A　deep　pain　looked　from　his　eyes。　　He
  was　still　very　pale；　and　his　mouth　had　settled
  into　sad　lines。
  ‘‘I　think；　perhaps；　it　may　be　just　as　well　if　I
  tell　you　what　I　_am_　doingor；　rather；　trying　to
  do；''　he　said　quietly。
  Then　he　told　her。
  ‘‘And　so　you　see；''　he　added；　when　he　had
  finished　the　tale；　‘‘I　haven't　really　accomplished
  much；　after　all；　and　it　seems　the　little　I　have
  accomplished　has　only　led　to　my　being　misjudged
  by　you；　my　best　friend。''
  Alice　gave　a　sobbing　cry。　　Her　face　was　scarlet。
  Horror；　shame；　and　relief　struggled　for　mastery
  in　her　countenance。
  ‘‘Oh；　but　I　didn't　know；　I　didn't　know；''　she
  moaned；　twisting　her　hands　nervously。　　‘‘And
  now；　when　you've　been　so　brave；　so　truefor
  me　to　accuse　you　of　　Oh；　can　you　_ever_　forgive
  me？　　But　you　see；　knowing　that　you　_did_　care　for
  her；　it　did　look''　　She　choked　into　silence；
  and　turned　away　her　head。
  He　glanced　at　her　tenderly；　mournfully。
  ‘‘Yes；''　he　said；　after　a　minute；　in　a　low　voice。
  ‘‘I　can　see　how　it　did　look；　and　so　I'm　going　to
  tell　you　now　something　I　had　meant　never　to　tell
  you。　　There　really　couldn't　have　been　anything　in
  that；　you　see；　for　I　found　out　long　ago　that　it　was
  gonewhatever　love　there　had　been　for
  Billy。''
  ‘‘But　yourtiger　skin！''
  ‘‘Oh；　yes；　I　thought　it　was　alive；''　smiled
  Arkwright；　sadly；　‘‘when　I　asked　you　to　help　me
  fight　it。　　But　one　day；　very　suddenly；　I　discovered
  that　it　was　nothing　but　a　dead　skin　of　dreams
  and　memories。　　But　I　made　another　discovery；
  too。　　I　found　that　just　beyond　lay　another　one；
  and　that　was　very　much　alive。''
  ‘‘Another　one？''　Alice　turned　to　him　in
  wonder。　　‘‘But　you　never　asked　me　to　help　you　fight
  that　one！''
  He　shook　his　head。
  ‘‘No；　I　couldn't；　you　see。　　You　couldn't　have
  helped　me。　　You'd　only　have　hindered　me。''
  ‘‘Hindered　you？''
  ‘‘Yes。　　You　see；　it　was　my　love　foryou；
  that　I　was　fightingthen。''
  Alice　gave　a　low　cry　and　flushed　vividly；　but
  Arkwright　hurried　on；　his　eyes　turned　away。
  ‘‘Oh；　I　understand。　　I　know。　　I'm　not　asking
  foranything。　　I　heard　some　time　ago　of　your
  engagement　to　Calderwell。　　I've　tried　many
  times　to　say　the　proper；　expected　pretty　speeches；
  butI　couldn't。　　I　will　now；　though。　　I　do。
  You　have　all　my　tenderest　best　wishes　for　your
  happinessdear。　　If　long　ago　I　hadn't　been
  such　a　blind　fool　as　not　to　know　my　own
  heart''
  ‘‘Butbut　there's　some　mistake；''　interposed
  Alice；　palpitatingly；　with　hanging　head。
  ‘‘II'm　not　engaged　to　Mr。　Calderwell。''
  Arkwright　turned　and　sent　a　keen　glance　into
  her　face。
  ‘‘You'renot？''
  ‘‘No。''
  ‘‘But　I　heard　that　Calderwell''　　He　stopped
  helplessly。
  ‘‘You　heard　that　Mr。　Calderwell　was　engaged；
  very　likely。　　Butit　so　happens　he　isn't　engaged
  to　me；''　murmured　Alice；　faintly。
  ‘‘But；　long　ago　you　said''　　Arkwright
  paused；　his　eyes　still　keenly　searching　her　face。
  ‘‘Never　mind　what　I　saidlong　ago；''　laughed
  Alice；　trying　unsuccessfully　to　meet　his　gaze。
  ‘‘One　says　lots　of　things；　at　times；　you　know。''
  Into　Arkwright's　eyes　came　a　new　light；　a
  light　that　plainly　needed　but　a　breath　to　fan　it
  into　quick　fire。
  ‘‘Alice；''　he　said　softly；　‘‘do　you　mean　that
  maybe　nowI　needn't　try　to　fightthat　other
  tiger　skin？''
  There　was　no　answer。
  Arkwright　reached　out　a　pleading　hand。
  ‘‘Alice；　dear；　I've　loved　you　so　long；''　he　begged
  unsteadily。　　‘‘Don't　you　think　that　sometime；
  if　I　was　very；　very　patient；　you　could　just　_begin_
  to　care　a　little　for　me？''
  Still　there　was　no　answer。　　Then；　slowly；　Alice
  shook　her　head。　　Her　face　was　turned　quite　away
  which　was　a　pity；　for　if　Arkwright　could　have
  seen　the　sudden　tender　mischief　in　her　eyes；　his
  own　would　not　have　become　so　somber。
  ‘‘Not　even　a　little　bit？''
  ‘‘I　couldn't　everbegin；''　answered　a　half…
  smothered　voice。
  ‘‘Alice！''　cried　the　man；　heart…brokenly。
  Alice　turned　now；　and　for　a　fleeting　instant
  let　him　see　her　eyes；　glowing　with　the　love　so
  long　kept　in　relentless　exile。
  ‘‘I　couldn't；　because；　you　see…I　began
  long　ago；''　she　whispered。
  ‘‘Alice！''　　It　was　the　same　single　word；　but
  spoken　with　a　world　of　difference；　for　into　it　now
  was　crowded　all　the　glory　and　the　wonder　of　a
  great　love。　　‘‘Alice！''　breathed　the　man　again；
  and　this　time　the　word　was；　oh；　so　tenderly　whispered
  into　the　little　pink　and　white　ear　of　the　girl
  in　his　arms。
  ‘‘I　got　delayed；''　began　Billy；　in　the　doorway。
  ‘‘Oh…h！''　she　broke　off；　beating　a　hushed；　but
  precipitate；　retreat。
  Fully　thirty　minutes　later；　Billy　came　to　the
  door　again。　　This　time　her　approach　was　heralded
  by　a　snatch　of　song。
  ‘‘I　hope　you'll　excuse　my　being　gone　so　long；''
  she　smiled；　as　she　entered　the　room　where　her
  two　guests　sat　decorously　face　to　face　at　the　chess…
  table。
  ‘‘Well；　you　know　you　said　you'd　be　gone　ten
  minutes；''　Arkwright　reminded　her；　politely。
  ‘‘Yes；　I　know　I　did。''　　And　Billy；　to　her　credit；
  did　not　even　smile　at　the　man　who　did　not　know
  ten　minutes　from　fifty。
  CHAPTER　XXX
  BY　A　BABY'S　HAND
  After　all；　it　was　the　baby's　hand　that　did　it；
  as　was　proper；　and　perhaps　to　be　expected；　for
  surely；　was　it　not　Bertram；　Jr。's　place　to　show
  his　parents　that　he　was；　indeed；　no　Wedge；　but
  a　dear　and　precious　Tie　binding　two　loving；　loyal
  hearts　more　and　more　closely　together？　　It
  would　seem；　indeed；　that　Bertram；　Jr。；　thought
  so；　perhaps；　and　very　bravely　he　set　about　it；
  though；　to　carry　out　his　purpose；　he　had　to　turn
  his　steps　into　an　unfamiliar　waya　way　of　pain；
  and　weariness；　and　danger。
  It　was　Arkwright　who　told　Bertram　that　the
  baby　was　very　sick；　and　that　Billy　wanted　him。
  Bertram　went　home　at　once　to　find　a　distracted；
  white…faced　Billy；　and　a　twisted；　pain…racked
  little　creature；　who　it　was　almost　impossible　to
  believe　was　the　happy；　laughing　baby　boy　he
  had　left　that　morning。
  For　the　next　two　weeks　nothing　was　thought
  of　in　the　silent　old　Beacon　Street　house　but　the
  tiny　little　life　hovering　so　near　Death's　door　that
  twice　it　appeared　to　have　slipped　quite　across
  the　threshold。　　All　through　those　terrible　weeks
  it　seemed　as　if　Billy　neither　ate　nor　slept；　and
  always　at　her　side；　comforting；　cheering；　and
  helping　wherever　possible　was　Bertram；　tender；
  loving；　and　marvelously　thoughtful。
  Then　came　the　turning　point　when　the　universe
  itself　appeared　to　hang　upon　a　baby's
  breath。　　Gradually；　almost　imperceptibly；　came
  the　fluttering　back　of　the　tiny　spirit　into　the
  longing　arms　stretched　so　far；　far　out　to　meet　and
  hold　it。　　And　the　father　and　the　mother；　looking
  into　each　other's　sleepless；　dark…ringed　eyes；
  knew　that　their　son　was　once　more　theirs　to　love
  and　cherish。
  When　two　have　gone　together　with　a　dear　one
  down　into　the　Valley　of　the　Shadow　of　Death；
  and　have　come　back；　either　mourning　or　rejoicing；
  they　find　a　different　world　from　the　one　they
  had　left。　　Things　that　were　great　before　seem
  small；　and　some　things　that　were　small　seem
  great。　　At　least　Bertram　and　Billy　found　their
  world　thus　changed　when　together　they　came
  back　bringing　their　son　with　them。
  In　the　long　weeks　of　convalescence；　when　the
  healthy　rosiness　stole　bit　by　bit　into　the　baby's
  waxen　face；　and　the　light　of　recognition　and
  understanding　crept　day　by　day　into　the　baby's
  eyes；　there　was　many　a　quiet　hour　for　heart…to…
  heart　talks　between　the　two　who　so　anxiously
  and　joyously　hailed　every　rosy　tint　and　fleeting
  sparkle。　　And　there　was　so　much　to　tell；　so　much
  to　hear；　so　much　to　talk　about！　　And　always；
  running　through　everything；　was　that　golden
  thread　of　joy；　beside　which　all　else　paledthat
  they　had　Baby　and　each　other。　　As　if　anything
  else　mattered！
  To　be　sure；　there　was　Bertram's　arm。　　Very
  early　in　their　talks　Billy　found　out　about　that。
  But　Billy；　with　Baby　getting　well；　was　not　to　be
  daunted；　even　by　this。
  ‘‘Nonsense；　darlingnot　paint　again；
  indeed！　　Why；　Bertram；　of　course　you　will；''　she
  cried　confidently。
  ‘‘But；　Billy；　the　doctor　said；''　began　Bertram；
  but　Billy　would　not　even　listen。
  ‘‘Very　well；　what　if　he　did；　dear？''　she
  interrupted。　　‘‘What　if　he　did　say　you　couldn't　use
  your　right　arm　much　again？''　　Billy's　voice　broke
  a　little；　then　quickly　steadied　into　something　very
  much　like　triumph。　　‘‘You've　got　your　left　one！''
  Bertram　shook　his　head。
  ‘‘I　can't　paint　with　that。''
  ‘‘Yes；　you　can；''　insisted　Billy；　firmly。　　‘‘Why；
  Bertram；　what　do　you　suppose　you　were　given
  two　arms　for　if　not　to　fight　with　both　of　them？
  And　I'm　going　to　be　ever　so　much　prouder　of
  what　you　paint　now；　because　I'll　know　how　splendidly
  you　worked　to　do　it。　　Besides；　there's　Baby。
  As　if　you　weren't　ever　going　to　paint　for　Baby！
  Why；　Bertram；　I'm　going　to　have　you　paint　Bab