ange in Mrs. Sutherland's
attitude toward her. From being coldly aloof she became warmly
gracious and treated her second only to Joanna. Christina accepted the
change gratefully. It had always been a trial, this disapproval of
Wallace's mother. She ought to be very happy, she told herself, when
she scolded herself for still longing to be away. Wallace would always
be in Orchard Glen now, the Ford place had good barns and a fine old
house, and who knew?--her heart beat fast at the thought, but there was
no thrill of joy accompanying. Some subtle change had come over
Christina since Sandy had enlisted. It seemed as if there could be no
other course for a young man now in these days of agony and blood. Her
heart was away with her brothers in their high endeavour and could be
content with nothing less.

It was a beautiful Autumn day when Sandy and Neil came home for their
last leave, as bright and happy as though they were going for a
pleasure trip round the world. Hugh MacGillivray brought Mary home to
say good-bye to them, for Mary was needing special care these days and
could not travel alone.

Grandpa read the 91st Psalm at worship the morning before they left,
and he paused and looked at the two young soldiers as he read the
words. "Thou shalt not be afraid of the terror by night nor for the
arrow that flieth by day ... a thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten
thousand at thy right hand but it shall not come nigh thee."

Christina listened and wondered and a strange new doubt crept into her
soul. How could she believe that promise, knowing that so many brave
boys had fallen before the arrow that flieth by day and that these dear
ones might meet a similar fate? Were the words of that psalm merely
beautiful sounding phrases that meant nothing? She glanced at her
mother to see if she could read a similar doubt there; but Mrs.
Lindsay's face was rapt, as though she had seen a new vision of the
psalm's meaning, and Christina was puzzled and disheartened.

She held up her head bravely, standing at the garden gate to wave them
good-bye as they drove down the lane in the golden sunlight. Then she
ran down the lane after them, stumbling a little when a mist came over
her eyes. She even ran down the road, gallantly waving her apron as
long as Sandy waved his cap, feeling glad that he could not see the
tears that were streaming down her face. And she made sure that the
democrat had disappeared behind the hil