Then suddenly he began to be aware of Lance’s voice explaining, and it all flashed over him.

He lifted his head.

“Are we there?” he asked half bewildered, and Lance’s face as he remembered it back at the farm took form before his stinging eyes.

“Yes, we made it! Hear that?” said Lance triumphantly. “Listen to that!” And a great clock upon the stairs chimed out six long silver notes.

“You haven’t got some hot coffee, have you?” asked Lance suddenly of the servant in uniform who stood before them. “I think my friend here has had a little too much cold, and he’s bewildered.”

Kind hands brought coffee hurriedly, and Alan drank and came to himself as the hot liquid penetrated his chilled veins. Then a white-gowned nurse appeared eagerly.

“You’ve brought the medicine?” she asked anxiously. “I didn’t think you could possibly get here, but you have!”

Alan fumbled with the buttons of the alien garments he was wearing and found the little package he had come so far to deliver, and the anxious-eyed elderly man who had followed the nurse down the stairs, exclaimed fervently, “Thank God! It’s come!”

Then turning to Alan he put out his hand gratefully.

“Now, to whom am I indebted for this wonderful service in this tempest? It is nothing short of a miracle that anyone could make this place in a storm like this!”

“Don’t thank me,” said Alan, putting his hand in the old man’s, “thank Devereaux there! I had the will to come, but I would never have got here if he hadn’t insisted on coming along to guide me.”

But Lance only grinned when the old man attempted to thank him, and to say that he wanted to do more than thank, that he would never forget the service rendered.

“Oh, that’s all right! It wasn’t so bad when we got going, was it, partner?” And he looked keenly into Alan’s face.

“But now, what can we do immediately for you to make you comfortable?” asked the old man solicitously. “You should get those wet clothes off at once and get dry and warm, and have something more substantial than coffee. You’ll stay here tonight, of course, and tomorrow if the storm doesn’t let up, and perhaps by that time my chauffeur will be back and can take you to wherever you want to go.”

“Thank you,” said Lance quickly, “that’s fine of you to ask, but I couldn’t. I’ve got to get right back. Perhaps my friend here would like to stay, I can’t answer for him. But I’ve got to get down that mountain as fast as possible. All I ask is that I may telephone home. My mother will be worrying, I suppose.”

“Telephone, of course,” said the old man graciously, “but tell them you’re staying here till the storm is over. I couldn’t think of letting you go out again. It’s perilous!”

Lance grinned.

“Thanks, awfully,” he said again, “but you know we have a thing called Christmas down at our house, and they’ll be expecting me. I wouldn’t miss it for all the perils in the world!”

The stately butler handed him the telephone that stood on a little table in the hall, and Lance called his own number, his eyes alight with eagerness, his face wearing the look of a conqueror. He had come through so far and he meant to get back, God willing.

The old man turned to Alan to whose face the color was returning since he had swallowed the hot coffee.

“But you’ll stay with us anyway?” he urged cordially.

Alan arose with a lift of his nice chin and a smile, and shook his head.

“Thanks, but I couldn’t,” he said firmly. “I wouldn’t let that man go down the mountain in this storm alone if it was the last act of my life. Not that man! He’s wonderful! We hang together!”

Then Lance’s voice broke in.

“That you, Daryl? Tell Mother we reached here safely, and we’re starting back immediately! Ruth get there all right? That’s good. Give her greetings from me. Don’t let Dad go out in this storm and shovel. We’ll tend to that tomorrow! Don’t wait supper for us. We may be slow, but we’ll get there. And don’t send out any rescue parties after us! We’re all right! Okay, so long! I’ll say ‘Merry Christmas’ first in the morning!”

Lance hung up with another grin and began to button up his slicker, but before he had finished it the butler arrived with two plates on which was something inviting and steaming hot; and briefly, hurriedly, they ate while the old man hovered around, took down their addresses, and heaped thanks upon their heads.

“And now,” he said as the two handed their plates to the servant and started to go, “we’ve got some snowshoes here. Would they help? You could cast them aside if you found they hindered.”

“Why, that might be a help,” said Lance. “Ever on snowshoes, Alan?”

“Once or twice!” said Alan ruefully. “I guess I could make a stab at navigating that way. It couldn’t be worse than my clumsy feet sometimes.”

So they took the snowshoes and started on their wild way down the mountain. The storm met them at the door, tore their breath from their nostrils, and menaced them, but the blessings of the old man rang in their ears as they plunged out of the driveway into the deep snow, making as nearly as they could guess for the place where they had come over the top.

Three miles away, down that awful mountain and over trackless wastes, was a Christmas tree with sweet-colored lights, a home waiting, and two girls with starry eyes. Would they ever make it on their weary limbs?

Chapter 6

It was while they were washing the supper dishes and Mother was getting ready the table for the two whom they were tremulously expecting, that she suddenly remembered the other guest that was to have arrived, and chided herself for not having mentioned him before. Surely Daryl would have missed her apprehension about him.