of feet and the height
made him giddy. That was a house, another house, not the one he had been
living in. And there were lights all about. Perhaps one of them was the
light at the parsonage. And a big bell was booming. That was his church
bell and he would be late for the meeting.

Some one was speaking to him. He knew the voice. He had known it always
and would know it forever. It was the voice he wanted to hear. "Grace!"
he called. "Grace! I want you. Don't go! Don't go! Grace! oh, my dear!
don't go!"

Then the voice had gone. No, it had not gone. It was still there and he
heard it speaking to him, begging him to listen, pleading with him to
go somewhere, go back, back to something or other. And there was an arm
about his waist and some one was leading him, helping him. He broke down
and cried childishly and some one cried with him.

Early the next morning, just as day was breaking, a buggy, the horse
which drew it galloping, rocked and bumped down the lighthouse lane.
Dr. Parker, his brows drawn together and his lips set with anxiety, was
driving. He had been roused from sleep in the hotel at Hyannis by a boy
with a telegram. "Come quick," it read. "Mr. Ellery sick." The sender
was Noah Ellis, the lightkeeper. The doctor had hired a fast horse,
ridden at top speed to Bayport, gotten a fresh horse there and hurried
on. He stopped at his own house but a moment, merely to rouse his wife
and ask her if there was any fresh news. But she had not even heard of
the minister's seizure.

"My soul, Will!" she cried, "you don't think it's the smallpox, do you?"

"Lord knows! I'm afraid so," groaned her husband. "WHAT made me leave
him? I ought to have known better. If that boy dies, I'll never draw
another easy breath."

He rushed out, sprang into the buggy, and drove on. At the ropes, early
as it was, he found a small group waiting and gazing at the shanty.
The lightkeeper was there and two or three other men. They were talking
earnestly.

"How is he, Noah?" demanded the doctor, jumping to the ground.

"I don't know, doc," replied Ellis. "I ain't heard sence last night when
I telegraphed you."

"Haven't heard? What do you mean by that? Haven't you been with him?"

"No-o," was the rather sheepish reply. "You see, I--I wanted to, but my
wife's awful scart I'll catch it and--"

"The devil!" Dr. Parker swore impatiently. "Who is with him then? You
haven't left him alone, have you?"

"No-o," Noah hesitated once mor