to give myself up,' and that would make her
happy--oh, too happy for earth. Well, I'm going to, anyway. I'm sick of
myself; I want to get away from myself; I need help. You've struggled,
too; I know by myself. Suppose we both give up. Suppose we both kneel
down here this minute, and say that we are tired of ourselves, and
ashamed of ourselves and we want Christ. Theodore will say it for us.
Will you do it, Mr. Hastings?"

She had spoken rapidly and with the same energy that characterized all
her words, but with solemn earnestness. Pliny bowed his head on his two
hands, while utter silence reigned; and Theodore, wonder-struck over the
turn that the conversation had taken, yet had breath enough left to say

"Lord Jesus, help them, help them. Oh, remember Calvary and the 'many
mansions,' and help them both. Let the decision be now." This prayer he
repeated and re-repeated. Then suddenly Pliny arose.

"If ever any one on earth needed help and strength it is I," he said,
hoarsely. "Yes, I _want_ to give up if I can," and he dropped upon his
knees.

In an instant Winny was kneeling, and Theodore's whole soul was being
poured out in prayer for those two. A moment and then Pliny, in low,
hoarse voice said:

"Lord, help me; I am sinking in deep waters." And Winny added: "Savior
of my mother, I am sick of sin; take me out of myself and into thee."

When they arose Theodore stole quietly from the room and left them
alone. He went up to his own closet and prayed such prayer of
thanksgiving as was recorded in heaven that night, and the angels around
the throne had great joy.

* * * * *

Not yet were the shocks and changes coming to these households over. Not
two weeks had the millionaire been sleeping his last sleep, when there
burst like a bombshell on the business world the startling news that his
millions had vanished into vapor, or perhaps it would be speaking more
properly to say into poison. Strange, wild speculations, that the acute,
far-sighted business man would never have touched for a moment had he
been himself, had been entered into while his brain was struggling with
the fumes of brandy. Notes had been signed, sales had been made and
debts contracted upon an enormous scale; in short, the whole business
was in a bewildering entanglement.

"There won't be five thousand dollars left out of the whole immense
property," said Edgar Ryan, one of the lawyers in charge, at the close
of a