e up first.

"She laughed back quite merrily (I was in his room at the time). 'All
right,' she said, 'you'll lose. I shall be well first, and I shall come
and visit you.'

"Her laugh was so bright, and her voice sounded so much stronger, that I
really began to think she had taken a turn for the better, so that when
on going in to her I found her pillow wet with tears, I could not
understand it.

"'Why, we were so cheerful just a minute ago,' I said; 'what's the
matter?'

"'Oh, poor Jack!' she moaned, as her little, wasted fingers opened and
closed upon the counterpane. 'Poor Jack, it will break his heart.'

"It was no good my saying anything. There comes a moment when something
tells your patient all that is to be known about the case, and the doctor
and the nurse can keep their hopeful assurances for where they will be of
more use. The only thing that would have brought comfort to her then
would have been to convince her that he would soon forget her and be
happy without her. I thought it at the time, and I tried to say
something of the kind to her, but I couldn't get it out, and she wouldn't
have believed me if I had.

"So all I could do was to go back to the other room, and tell him that I
wanted her to go to sleep, and that he must not call out to her until I
told him.

"She lay very still all day. The doctor came at his usual hour and
looked at her. He patted her hand, and just glanced at the untouched
food beside her.

"'Yes,' he said, quietly. 'I shouldn't worry her, nurse.' And I
understood.

"Towards evening she opened her eyes, and beckoned to her sister, who was
standing by the bedside, to bend down.

"'Jeanie,' she whispered, 'do you think it wrong to deceive any one when
it's for their own good?'

"'I don't know,' said the girl, in a dry voice; 'I shouldn't think so.
Why do you ask?'

"'Jeanie, your voice was always very much like mine--do you remember,
they used to mistake us at home. Jeanie, call out for me--just till--till
he's a bit better; promise me.'

"They had loved each other, those two, more than is common among sisters.
Jeanie could not answer, but she pressed her sister closer in her arms,
and the other was satisfied.

"Then, drawing all her little stock of life together for one final
effort, the child raised herself in her sister's arms.

"'Good-night, Jack,' she called out, loud and clear enough to be heard
through the closed door.

"'Good-night, little wife,'