rnoon, then
her uncle arrived, and at the first sight of his face Rose began to
tremble.

"I came for my little girl myself, because we must go back at once," he
said as she hurried toward him hat in hand.

"I'm ready, sir." But her hands shook as she tried to tie the ribbons,
and her eyes never left the face that was full of tender pity for her.

He took her quickly into the carriage and, as they rolled away, said
with the quiet directness which soothes such agitation better than any
sympathetic demonstration: "Charlie is worse. I feared it when the pain
went so suddenly this morning, but the chief injuries are internal and
one can never tell what the chances are. He insists that he is better,
but he will soon begin to fail, I fear, become unconscious, and slip
away without more suffering. This is the time for you to see him, for he
has set his heart on it, and nothing can hurt him now. My child, it is
very hard, but we must help each other bear it."

Rose tried to say, "Yes, Uncle" bravely, but the words would not
come, and she could only slip her hand into his with a look of mute
submission. He laid her head on his shoulder and went on talking so
quietly that anyone who did not see how worn and haggard his face had
grown with two days and a night of sharp anxiety might have thought him
cold.

"Jessie has gone home to rest, and Jane is with poor Clara, who has
dropped asleep at last. I've sent for Steve and the other boys. There
will be time for them later, but he so begged to see you now, I thought
it best to come while this temporary strength keeps him up. I have
told him how it is, but he will not believe me. If he asks you, answer
honestly and try to fit him a little for this sudden ending of so many
hopes."

"How soon, Uncle?"

"A few hours, probably. This tranquil moment is yours make the most of
it and, when we can do no more for him, we'll comfort one another."

Mac met them in the hall, but Rose hardly saw him. She was conscious
only of the task before her and, when her uncle led her to the door, she
said quietly, "Let me go in alone, please."

Archie, who had been hanging over the bed, slipped away into the inner
room as she appeared, and Rose found Charlie waiting for her with such
a happy face, she could not believe what she had heard and found it easy
to say almost cheerfully as she took his eager hand in both of hers:
"Dear Charlie, I'm so glad you sent for me. I longed to come, but waited
ti