do it, did you, darling?" Eagerly I
watched her face to see her blue eyes open and her lips once more move.
Could I bring her back by calling her? It might be so; and then I tried,
repeating her name again and again, tenderly, lovingly, oh, so lovingly!

Hours passed thus. The smile on her lips remained. Presently I listened,
my arms about her neck and my head upon her breast.

I was quiet now. The awful storm which had well-nigh uprooted my very
soul was gradually subsiding. I must be ready to hear her if she should
come back with a message.

This I believed she would do. Many times we had talked together of these
things, and each had faithfully promised the other to return, if
possible, with comfort and assistance from the mysterious beyond in the
event of a separation by death.

I could see her now as she looked while speaking, and then I grew calmer
immediately.

I would wait.

By and by it came--only two words.

"The letter."

The letter! Where was it? I had not seen it--I had not thought to look
for such a thing because her departure came so suddenly. A burning
building close to our cabin, with wind blowing the flames toward her,
had caused the fright and heart failure which deprived me of Olga--but a
letter! I would search for it.

Among her writing materials I found it. A sealed packet, directed to me
in her own dainty Swedish handwriting.

I cannot reproduce it here. It was for my eyes only, and written a week
previously; but she said she was expecting soon to be called away. She
did not wish to worry me with goodbyes, and in truth there was no need
of saying them for she would be as constantly with me as ever, even
though I could not always see her. She did not want me to forget her and
hoped I could conveniently manage to keep the poor little body (in which
she had lived for nearly thirty years) quite close to me where I could
sometimes look upon her face.

All this and much more she had written; each letter and word of which
comforted me as only Olga knew how to comfort, because she understood my
very soul.

We had been made for each other. We were souls twinned in creation by a
higher power than many know; but it had been given us to understand in
her lifetime, and now that she had been called away for a season I must
bear it as patiently as possible for her sake, and I would. God helping
me, I would bear it! And my unreasoning grief should not disturb her
quietude.

The day passed.

In