n's little room voiced the sole discordant note that night. And
as the girl sat there, holding the damp hand of the poor victim, she
thanked her God that the lad's true individuality was His pure
thought of him.

* * * * *

At dawn Sidney Ames awoke. A rosy-tinted glow lay over the little
room, and the quiet form at his side seemed an ethereal presence. A
gentle pressure from the hand that still clasped his brought a return
of his earthly sense, and he roused up.

"Miss Carmen! You--?"

"Yes, Sidney." The gentle voice sounded to him like distant music.

"I--you--you brought me in here last night--but--" His hands closed
about the little one that lay in his grasp. "You--haven't sat
here--with me--all night?"

"Yes, Sidney, all night."

With a low moan the boy buried his face in her arms, and burst into a
flood of bitter tears.

"It isn't real, Sidney," she whispered, twining an arm about his neck.
"It isn't real."

For some moments the lad sobbed out his shame and misery. Carmen
stroked his fair hair, and drew him closer to her, while tears of love
and pity coursed down her own cheeks.

Then, suddenly, the boy started up. "Don't touch me!" he cried,
struggling to his feet, while his eyes shone with a wild light.

He started for the door, but Carmen darted past him and stood with her
back against it, facing him. "Stop, Sidney!" she cried, holding her
hands against him. "It can't drive you! It is powerless! _God reigns
here!_"

She turned the lock as he hesitated; then took his arm and led him,
trembling and shivering, back to his chair.

"We are going to meet this, Sidney, you and I," she whispered, bending
over the shaking form.

The suffering lad shook his head and buried his face in his hands.
"You can't," he moaned; "you can't--I'm _gone!_" His voice died into a
tremble of hopeless despair, of utter surrender.

Carmen bit her lip. She had faced many trying situations in her brief
life-experience; but, though she met it with dauntless courage and
knew its source, the insidious suggestion now persisted that the eyes
of her people were upon her, and that by this would stand or fall
their faith. Aye, the world was watching her now, keen-eyed and
critical. Would she give it cause to say she could not prove her faith
by her works?

And then came the divine message that bade her "Know that I am
God!"--that bade her know that responsibility lay not upon her
shou