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He said nothing, but looked at her through the thin blue cloud of his

cigarette She looked so sweet, so girlish, so--yes, so helpless--lying

there in the sunlight, one bro supporting her shapely head, the

other--after theof

compassion smote him

"It's a devil of a world," he muttered, almost to himself

"Do you think so?" she said, with surprise "I don't At any rate, I

don't think so this afternoon"

"Why this afternoon?" he asked, half curiously

"Oh, I don't know Perhaps it's the sunshine, or--or--do you think it's

the hed

"But I feel so happy and free from care And yet all the old trouble

remains There's Dick's future--and--oh, all the rest But this

afternoon everything seeht and hopeful I wonder why?"

She looked at hiht perhaps explain; but Vernon

said nothing

"Have you really finished that cigarette? You smoke much less quickly

than Dick Well, there's another ready; and when you've finished that, I