By Berwen Banks

"I will ride in to-morrow, to hear what further discoveries you have

made," said Mr. Wynne. And Dr. Belton returned home early, leaving his

host and hostess deeply interested.

Calling Sister Vera to him he told her of his plans.

"I have long thought it possible that poor fellow might have had a blow

of some kind on his head, and that he is still suffering from the

effects of it. I shall at once administer an anaesthetic and have a

thorough examination of his head. The idea of sunstroke was so

confirmed by the symptoms when he was brought to the hospital that no

one thought of anything else."

"How soon?" asked the nurse.

"To-morrow--three o'clock."

And the next afternoon, Cardo's head was thoroughly examined, with the

result that Dr. Belton soon found at the back of the skull near the top

a small but undoubted indentation.

"Of course," he said, "we must have been blind not to guess it before;

but we are blind sometimes--very blind and very stupid."

Cardo was kept under the influence of a sedative that night, and next

day Dr. Belton, with the promptness of action which he now regretted he

had not sooner exercised, procured the help of one of the most noted

specialists in Sydney, and an operation was successfully performed.

Mr. and Mrs. Wynne's visits of inquiry and sympathy were of almost

daily occurrence during the next month, while Cardo in the darkened,

quiet room, slowly regained his powers of mind and body. It was a very

slow progress, though it did not seem to be wholly unsatisfactory to

Dr. Belton. That good man, after weeks, nay months, of anxious

interest, was, however, at last rewarded by the pleasant spectacle of a

young and ardent temperament gradually re-awakening to the joys of life.

The mind which had been darkened for so long could not be expected to

regain its elasticity and spring at once, in an hour, or a day. But it

was evident to the doctor that the healing process which had begun

would continue, unless retarded by some unforeseen accident. Gradually

the children were admitted into his presence, and while they played

with Cardo, Mrs. Belton came and chatted with Sister Vera.

A few days later on Mr. and Mrs. Wynne entered through the verandah

with Dr. Belton, and although Cardo looked a little flustered and

puzzled, the pleasant smile and warm clasp of the hand with which he

greeted them showed there was no great depth of distrust or fear in his

mind. His uncle and aunt possessed much good sense and judgment, and

did not hurriedly thrust the recognition of themselves upon their

nephew, but waited patiently, and let it dawn gradually upon him.

One afternoon, while Cardo, accompanied by his uncle and aunt, were

walking up and down the verandah conversing on things in general, in a

friendly and unconstrained manner, he suddenly stopped, and looking

full into his uncle's face, said: "Uncle Lewis, I cannot imagine how you and I have come here together;

some things seem so very clear to me, and others so dim and indistinct."