up to her
own.

She was just about to seize her hat and cloak, and to dash out into the
street, in the mad hope of overtaking him, all heedless of little
Pearl's cry, as she woke from her sleep and held out her hand, when
there came a sudden knock upon the door.

It was the colored maid.

"If you please, ma'am, you are wanted in Miss Staples' room."

"I--I can not go now," cried Dorothy, incoherently. "I have an urgent
errand that I must attend to at once."

"But you must come, madame," said the girl, slowly, but very
impressively.

"It is impossible," returned Dorothy, attempting to pass her by. "Every
moment of my time is precious."

"But madame must go to the sick-room," reiterated the girl so earnestly
that Dorothy paused.

"I will look in at the sick-room one moment," she said. "Then you--you
must not detain me."

Suddenly she turned and asked:

"Do you know whether Mr. Garner is in the house?"

"He is in the library, ma'am."

"You are sure?" gasped Dorothy.

"Quite sure, ma'am. He also has had a message to come to the sick-room.
I stopped and gave it to him myself on my way here."

Thus assured that he had not yet left the house, Dorothy breathed a
great sigh of intense relief.

"I--I do not mind going to the sick-room with you now," she whispered,
in a low, unsteady voice; and, all unconscious of what was to accrue
from it, Dorothy followed her companion from the room and up to Jessie's
chamber.

The silence of death was upon all things as she parted the silken
_portieres_ and entered the room where the sick girl lay, white and
gasping, upon the couch.

The two doctors made way for her, motioning her to advance to the couch.

"Oh! she is not dying--not dying?" gasped Dorothy, with a wild wail of
terror. "You must not tell me that!"

"Are you so very much surprised?" asked Doctor Crandall, slowly and
impressively.

"Oh, she must not die---she must not die!" she cried. "Where is all your
vaunted skill if you can not save her life?"

"Man can work against the skill of man," significantly replied Doctor
Crandall, "but not against the will of Heaven."

"But is she dying?" wailed Dorothy, grasping the ice-cold hands.

"She shall not die if we can save her," simultaneously echoed both
doctors.

They uttered the words in so strange a tone that Dorothy turned and
looked at them in wonder.

At that moment Mr. Garner entered the room. His face was still very
pale, but he was outwardly cal