ss--can I?"

"Perhaps," said Helena gently. "Who knows what there may be that you can
do?"

"Dear boy," said Mrs. Thornton, stroking the lad's head. She looked
quickly at Helena. "We, too, are grateful, more than there are words to
tell, and we, too, would like to show our gratitude. We are rich and
money--"

"Money!" the word came in shocked, hurt interruption from Helena, as a
signal flashed from Madison's eyes. "The Patriarch does not do these
things for money--it would be a bitter grief to him to be misjudged in
that way, even in thought. It is the love in his heart for the suffering
ones, and his power goes out to all who ask it freely, with no thought
of recompense or gain, and his joy and happiness is the joy and
happiness of others."

"And right off the bat too!" said Madison admiringly to himself. "Now,
wouldn't that get you! Say, could you beat it--could you beat it!"

"Oh, I did not mean that," said Mrs. Thornton almost piteously. "Please,
please do not think so, for I know so well that money in a personal
sense could have no place here, that it would indeed be sacrilege. It is
in quite another way--Robert, Mr. Madison, you explain what we would
like to do."

It was Madison who explained.

"It is Mrs. Thornton's idea, Miss Vail," he said earnestly; "and it is
one that I know will realize the Patriarch's dearest wish--to extend
his sphere of helpfulness to others, to reach out to all who are
stricken and have faith to come. I remember his writing that on the
slate, which he used for conversation before his sight was completely
taken from him. I remember the words as though they were before me now:
'I have dreamed often of a wider field, of reaching out to help the
thousands beyond this little town--it would be wondrous joy.'"

"Yes?" said Helena in a suppressed voice.

"In a way," Madison went on gravely, "his dream is already realized.
What has happened here this afternoon will in a few hours be known to
the whole civilized world, and there will be no room for incredulity or
doubt--on whatever ground people see fit to base their belief, they must
still believe; and, believing, they will come here in ever increasing
numbers--but this little village is totally inadequate to accommodate
them. At first, yes, as I said to Mrs. Thornton; but afterwards--no.
Mrs. Thornton's idea, Mr. Thornton's idea and my own, if I may say so,
is to build and endow a great sanatorium that, in consonance with the
Patriar