ted his troubled eyes to hers. "You?" he asked. And then he
tried to approach her, but he had become too infirm. "I cannot!" he
cried despairingly.

He would have fallen, but the gentle hand of the giant, Will o'Dreams,
was instantly about him, supporting him. "Let me help," he said.

Everychild's heart was beating loudly. "Let me help too!" he cried.
"I have always been fond of Jack the Giant Killer."

Between these two, then, the infirm little old man, who had been the
gay youth, moved totteringly toward the Masked Lady. With a slow,
tremulous gesture he placed his hand in hers, which was stretched out
to him.

A miracle! He was instantly the brave and gallant youth again,
seven-league boots, invisible cloak, sword of sharpness and all!

He lifted his sword with a great shout of joy. And then, remembering
his manners, he said to the Masked Lady, "I thank you, lady!" And to
Everychild he said, "They shall never be deceived who put their faith
in you." And to the giant, Will o'Dreams, he said, after a solemn
pause--"It may be that you shall see me fight again; but when that day
comes, I shall be fighting on your side!"

And so he marched gallantly away into the forest.

It was then that Everychild observed that the night was falling.
"Perhaps we ought to sleep awhile," he said to his companions. "This
seems a very nice place, and we may have to go a long distance
to-morrow."

They all found places on the grassy bank, the giant Will o'Dreams lying
down beside Everychild like a true friend.

They had no sooner taken their places than it was really night.
Insects in the forest about them made a droning sound. A distant bell
rang faintly. One by one the members of the band fell asleep.

All save Everychild. He alone was wakeful. And he knew that the
Masked Lady had taken a step forward and was looking down at him.

He lifted himself on his elbow and looked away toward the sky where it
appeared through the trees. And suddenly he exclaimed. "Oh,
wonderful! I think I saw a star fall!"

The Masked Lady spoke to him soothingly: "Perhaps. They fall every
little while."

Everychild had not known this. "Do they?" he asked; "I wonder why?"

The Masked Lady said, "Perhaps it is so we may know that they don't
amount to very much, after all."

"Not amount to much! But they are worlds, aren't they?"

"Yes, they are worlds."

"Then if they don't amount to a great deal, is there anything that
doe