ave my dear ones."

"It is--all--right between us," he murmured, and relapsed into
unconsciousness.

"We are too many here," said the physician, dismissing all but the
mother.

Elsie remained in an adjoining room, trying to comfort the sisters,
while Mrs. Leland and the gentlemen repaired to the veranda, where they
found Mr. Wood, who had just arrived; having been sent for to converse
and pray with the dying man.

"How does he seem?" he asked, "can I go at once to the room?"

"Not now; he is unconscious," said Mr. Dinsmore and went on to describe
Foster's condition, mental, moral, and physical, as evidenced in his
interview with them and the earlier one with Dr. Barton; of which Elsie
had given them an account.

"Ah, God grant he may indeed find mercy, and be enabled to lay hold upon
Christ to the saving of his soul, even at this eleventh hour!"
ejaculated the pastor. "A death-bed repentance is poor ground for hope.
I have seen many of them in my fifty years ministry, but of all those
who recovered from what had seemed mortal illness, but one held fast to
his profession.

"The others all went back to their former evil ways, showing
conclusively that they had been self-deceived and theirs but the hope of
the hypocrite which 'shall perish: whose hope shall be cut off, and
whose trust shall be a spider's web.'

"Yet with our God all things are possible, and the invitation is to all
who are yet on praying ground; 'Whosoever will.'"

At this moment Elsie glided into their midst, and putting her hand into
that of her pastor, said in low, tearful tones, "I am so glad you have
come! He is conscious again, and asking for you."

He went with her to the bedside.

The glazing eyes grew bright for an instant.

"You have--come: oh tell me--what--I must--do--to--be saved!"

"I can only point you to 'the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of
the world,'" returned the pastor, deeply moved: "only repeat his
invitation, 'Look unto me, and be ye saved all ye ends of the earth.'"

"I--am--trying--trying," came faintly from the pale lips, while the
hands moved slowly, feebly, from side to side as if groping in the dark,
"Lord save--"

A deep hush filled the room, broken presently by the mother's wail as
she fell on her knees at the bedside, and taking the cold hand in hers
covered it with kisses and tears.

With the last word the spirit had taken its flight; to him time should
be no longer, eternity had begun.

Few a