anxious
we've been! You must never go out again--never! There, brother, sit
there."

The wandering eyes looked up with a supplicating expression. "Forgive me.
Brother Storm----"

But John would not listen. "Hush, brother! what have I to forgive? How
cold you are! Your hands are like ice. What can I do? There's no fire in
the house at this time of night--even in the kitchen it will be out now.
But wait, I can rub you with my hands. See, I'm warm and strong. There's
a deal of blood in me yet. That's better, isn't it? Tingling, eh? That's
right--that's good! Now for your feet--your feet will be colder still."

"No, brother, no. I ought to be kissing the feet of everybody in the
house and asking the prayers of the community, and yet you----"

"Tut! what nonsense! Let me take off this shoe. Dear me, how it sticks!
Why, you've worn it through and through. Look! What a mercy the snow was
hard! If there had been thaw, now! How far you must have walked!"

"Yes, I've wandered a long way, brother."

"You shall tell me all about it. I want to hear everything--every single
thing."

"There's nothing to tell. I've failed in my errand--that's all."

John, who was on his knees, drew back and looked up. "Do you mean,
then---Have you not seen your sister?"

"No, she's gone, and nobody knows anything about her."

"Well, perhaps it's for the best, brother. God's will be done, you know.
If you had found her--who knows?--you might have been tempted--But tell
me everything."

"I can not do that, I'm so weak, and it's not worth while."

"But I want to hear all that happened. See, your feet are all right
now--I've rubbed them warm again. Though I fast so much and look so thin
I've a deal of life in me. And I've been pouring it all into you, haven't
I? That's because I want you to revive and be strong and tell me
everything. Hush! Speak low; don't waken anybody! Did you find the
hospital?"

"Yes."

"Then Nurse Quayle sees nothing of your sister now? That's the pity of
the life she is leading, poor girl! No friends, no future----"

"It wasn' that, brother."

"What then?"

"The nurse was not there."

A silence followed, and then John said in another voice: "I suppose she
was on a holiday. It was very stupid of me; I didn't think of that. Twice
a year a hospital nurse is entitled to a week's holiday, and no
doubt----"

"But she was gone."

"Gone? You mean left the hospital?"

"Yes."

"Well," in a husky voice, "that isn