r more, strove always to turn her thoughts away.

But almost always her talk was happy and bright. In those days Katie
heard more of her grandmother's youthful days than she had ever heard
before. She spoke about her home, and her brothers and sisters, and
about "the gowany braes" and "the silver Ythan," and the songs they used
to sing, before it had ever come into her mind that there was trouble
and care before her. She even tried to sing again, in her faint sweet
voice, some of the dear old songs, laughing softly at her own
foolishness.

But she never once spoke as though she thought she might not recover;
even when she gave Katie words of counsel or caution, it was just in the
way she used to do when they were going about their work together, and
the girl was sure that she would soon be well again, and that that was
Miss Betsey's thought too.

But seeing her as she stood looking down on her grandmother's sleeping
face that morning, Katie was not so sure of what Miss Betsey's thoughts
might be. Still, her grandmother's eyes opened and she smiled her old
cheerful smile, as she said she was glad to see them.

"You must tell grandfather that the minister is come, Katie," said she.

Mr Maxwell had seen Mr Fleming stepping up the brae, and he knew well
that no words of his could comfort him. He could only hope as Katie
did, that his Lord and Master might show him His face in the solitude he
sought.

He had few words to say to Mrs Fleming, for she seemed inclined to
slumber through the afternoon.

"I wish you could stay with us to-night, Miss Betsey," said Katie's
mother. "I am afraid grandmother is not so well."

"There is not much difference either way, I think. I would be glad to
stay, but Uncle Gershom has had another bad turn, and I promised cousin
Lizzie I would stay with her to-night. But I will come over to-morrow
morning before I go home if I can get away."

"Do you think her very ill?" asked Mr Maxwell as they walked down the
hill together.

"I have not thought her very ill. I don't know that she is worse
to-day, but she is certainly no better. I suppose it depends on whether
her strength holds out. She is an old woman now."

These were anxious days to Katie; but her grandfather had more of her
thoughts than her grandmother.

"And it is a wonder to me that he should be so broken down, a good man
like him, even by such sore trouble. Even the loss of grannie would be
but for a few days, an