"I think not at all seriously. He's played out, though, and I have advised him to sleep a little."
"That's right," nodded the woman. "Natur's the panoseeds for all sich. That—and hot drops. You just take him a little phial of our vegetable hot drops. They'll fix him up like magic."
"Why, thank you, madam, I will, if you can spare them," said Ralph. "I was also going to ask you to put me up a bite of something to eat and let me have a bottle of water."
"Surely I will," and the good-hearted woman, pleased with Ralph's engaging politeness, bustled off and soon returned with a paper parcel, a two-quart bottle of water and a little phial filled with a dark liquid.
Ralph insisted on leaving her twenty-five cents, and went back to his friend with a parting admonition "to be sure and give him the hot drops soon as he woke up."
Van was sleeping profoundly, and Ralph did not disturb him. He sat watching the slumberer steadily. Van seemed to have placid, pleasant dreams, for he often smiled in his sleep, and once murmured the refrain of one of Mrs. Fairbanks' favorite songs.
An hour later Van turned over and sat up quickly. Ralph had been somewhat anxious, for he did not know what phase his companion's con-
