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292 I was right once, wasn't I? Wasn't I right—about Taylor?"

"Yes" she said. "Yes, you were right," in a tone suddenly thin, and which rose alarmingly in pitch.

Helen dreamed as she slept that night. Taylor came to her and said as he had said one other time, using the words of Bobby: "And if I try hard to learn all that you will teach me—when I know as much as you, will you marry me?"

He seemed to be standing very close to her. He held out his arms and, staring into his face, trying to rebell [sic], her feet had carried her forward. He had smiled as his arms closed about her, imprisoning her, her forest, her life, making her helpless—Then his lips had lowered to hers and as their mouths touched her heart raced, her cheeks took fire, and in her ears was a strange ringing, ringing—a ringing which grew louder and more insistent.

She found herself in the middle of the room, bewildered by a glow in the sky and by the sound of the insistent telephone bell. She ran barefooted down the stairs to lift the receiver.

"This is Raymer," a voice said. "A deck of logs is on fire and the others are in danger."

"Is your pump working?" faculties clearing.

"The hose had been cut. We need help!"

"Coming!"

She called to Goddard out the door, dressed and flew to the garage where men were clamping the platform of fire extinguishers on the body of the car. They raced through the night, with the stain of fire growing brilliant before them and came out at Seven Mile to see the mill in sharp silhouette and flames leaping high from one bank