nd company, but the physician was inclined to object. Lester,
however, was stubborn. "This is my death," he said, with a touch of
grim humor. "If I'm dying I ought to be allowed to die in my own
way."

Watson smiled at the man's unfaltering courage. He had never seen
anything like it before.

There were cards of sympathy, calls of inquiry, notices in the
newspaper. Robert saw an item in the Inquirer and decided to go
to Chicago. Imogene called with her husband, and they were admitted to
Lester's room for a few minutes after Jennie had gone to hers. Lester
had little to say. The nurse cautioned them that he was not to be
talked to much. When they were gone Lester said to Jennie, "Imogene
has changed a good deal." He made no other comment.

Mrs. Kane was on the Atlantic three days out from New York the
afternoon Lester died. He had been meditating whether anything more
could be done for Jennie, but he could not make up his mind about it.
Certainly it was useless to leave her more money. She did not want it.
He had been wondering where Letty was and how near her actual arrival
might be when he was seized with a tremendous paroxysm of pain. Before
relief could be administered in the shape of an anesthetic he was
dead. It developed afterward that it was not the intestinal trouble
which killed him, but a lesion of a major blood-vessel in the
brain.

Jennie, who had been strongly wrought up by watching and worrying,
was beside herself with grief. He had been a part of her thought and
feeling so long that it seemed now as though a part of herself had
died. She had loved him as she had fancied she could never love any
one, and he had always shown that he cared for her--at least in
some degree. She could not feel the emotion that expresses itself in
tears--only a dull ache, a numbness which seemed to make her
insensible to pain. He looked so strong--her Lester--lying
there still in death. His expression was unchanged--defiant,
determined, albeit peaceful. Word had come from Mrs. Kane that she
would arrive on the Wednesday following. It was decided to hold the
body. Jennie learned from Mr. Watson that it was to be transferred to
Cincinnati, where the Paces had a vault. Because of the arrival of
various members of the family, Jennie withdrew to her own home; she
could do nothing more.

The final ceremonies presented a peculiar commentary on the
anomalies of existence. It was arranged with Mrs. Kane by wire that
the body sho