im by Doc Crombie who had been urgently summoned
immediately after winning his race with Nature in another part of the
village. Elia had been prostrated with a nervous attack which ended in
a terrible fit, and Eve, all unaware of what had gone before between
her brother and Will, had been hard put to it, in her grief and
anxiety.

When the boy first showed signs of illness she sent for Mrs. Gay to
find the doctor, and the bright, busy little woman was still with her.
Annie Gay was quite the antithesis of her husband. She was practical,
energetic and, above all things, bright. She was quite young and
pretty, and Eve and she were considerable friends. She answered the
girl's summons without a moment's delay, and, to her utmost distress,
when she arrived, she found Elia in a fierce paroxysm of convulsions.

"You think so, Annie?" Eve's eyes lifted hungrily to her friend's
face. They were full of almost painful yearning. This boy's welfare
meant more to her than any one knew.

Annie took her arm, and gently drew her from the bedside, nodding her
pretty head sagely.

"Sure." Then she added with a great assumption of knowledge, "You see
those weakly creatures like poor Elia have got a lot o' life in them.
You can't kill 'em. Angel allus says that, an' he's sure to know.
Elia's body ain't worth two cents as you might say, but he's
got--what's the word--vi--vi----"

"Vitality," suggested Eve.

"Yes, sure. That's it. Now he'll just sleep and sleep. And then he'll
be bully when he wakes. So come you and sit down while I make you a
drop of hot coffee. Pore girl, you're wore out. There's no end to the
troubles o' this world for sure," she added cheerfully, as she hustled
off to the kitchen to get the promised coffee.

Eve sat down in her workroom. She was comforted in spite of herself.
Annie Gay's manner was of an order that few could resist; it was
illogical, and, perhaps, foolishly optimistic, yet it had that blessed
quality of carrying conviction to all who were fortunate enough to
lean on her warm, strong heart. And on Eve she practiced her best
efforts.

But Eve's anxiety only lay dormant for the time. It was still there
gnawing at her heart. She knew the danger of the fits Elia was subject
to and a brooding thought clung to her that one day one of these would
prove fatal. The least emotion, the least temper, fear, excitement,
brought them on. This one--it was the worst she had known. Supposing
he had died--she shud