ever saw, except papa," cried Charlotte then,
with a great gulp of blissful confession, and the two women wept in
each other's arms. "I will try and make him a good wife," Charlotte
whispered, softly.

"Of course you will, you precious child."

But suddenly Charlotte raised herself a little and looked at Mrs.
Anderson with a troubled face. "But I can't leave papa all alone,"
she said, "and your son would not want to leave you."

"Of course my son could not leave me," Mrs. Anderson said, quickly.

"I could not leave papa all alone."

"Well, we won't worry about that now, dear," Mrs. Anderson replied,
although her forehead was slightly knitted. "Your mother and aunt
will be back; some way will be opened. We will not worry about that
now."

Charlotte blushed painfully at the thought that she had been hasty
about making preparations for the marriage, and had shocked Mrs.
Anderson. "You don't think papa is very badly hurt?" she said.

"Why, of course not, dear. Didn't you hear what Randolph said? He
probably was stunned. It is so easy to get stunned from a fall on the
ice. My husband got a bad fall once, one icy Sunday as we were coming
home from the church. They had to carry him into Mr. John Bemis's
house, and he did not come to for several hours. I thought he was
killed. I never was so frightened except once when Randolph had the
croup. But he got all over it. His head was a little sore, but that
was all. I presume it was black and blue under his hair. Randolph's
father had beautiful thick hair just like his. I dare say he was not
hurt so badly, because of that. Your father has thick hair, hasn't
he?"

"Yes."

"Well, I dare say he struck on his head, just as my husband did, and
was stunned. I dare say that was just what happened. Of course he did
not break any bones, or he would not be coming home on the noon
train. I don't believe they would let him out from the hospital so
soon as that, even if he had only broken his arm."

"Oh, do you think they carried him to a hospital?"

"They took him somewhere where he was taken care of, or he would not
be coming home on the noon train," said Mrs. Anderson. "It is almost
time for you to get up, and I want you to drink another cup of
coffee. You came here without any hat, didn't you, poor child?"

"Yes."

"Well, I haven't got any hat, and you can't wear one of my bonnets,
but I have a pretty white head-tie that you can wear; and nobody will
see you in the closed c