it, and she was afraid to risk a
movement, so she crouched and made herself small. The air was thick and
pungent, freezing draughts played upon her through the cracks of the
door, and her foot tingled, but she did not move. After a while she saw
two luminous disks which halted, glared, and approached, and she patted
the furry body until it curled up on her skirt and lay there purring.
She felt it grow tense at a tiny squeak and scuttle, but she kept still.

More than half an hour had gone when something happened. A horse
stamped, a cock set up a sudden chatter, the cat leaped to a manger, and
a cow scrambled to her feet. The darkness was full of movement,--wings
fluttered, timbers shook under kicking hoofs and rubbing hides, tossed
heads jarred the rings that held them fast. Then from the corner in
which stood the splendid yoke of black oxen, the pride of the farm,
there came a long, deep sound, as of something primeval mourning.

Two minutes after, Conrad was roused by a noise in the kitchen. The
house door stood wide, showing a great rectangle of moonlight, there was
a rush of cold air, and his bare foot struck Mary, doubled up where she
had fallen. He shouted, and an old woman ran in with her gray hair
flying.

"Conrad!" she exclaimed, almost in a scream.

"I don't know," he answered. He had his wife in his arms and held her
out like a child showing a broken toy.

The old woman bethought herself first. "Take her in and lay her on the
bed," she ordered. While she worked he began to hurry on his clothes,
moving as though he were stupid; then he came up to the bed.

"Aunt Hannah, what has she?" he begged. She gave him a look, and he
suddenly burst into a great storm of tears.

"Hurry!" she said. "Take Dolly and a whip and go to Bernville first. If
the doctor isn't home, go along to Mount Pleasant; but bring a doctor.
Ach!" she seized his hand in her excitement.

Mary's eyes were opening--blue, wide, and terrified. "Don't take Dolly,"
she said, quite loud. "Dolly knows too much." Then her eyes closed
again.

Conrad went into the kitchen, still sobbing, and the old woman followed.

"I must take Dolly," he whispered. "Aunt Hannah, for God's sake, what
has she?"

"I don't know what she means about Dolly. Maybe I can find out till you
get back. She'll soon come to. You better be careful going out of the
barnyard. It might worry her if she hears the hoofs."

The young man checked his crying. "I take her through