ful enough," said Dick earnestly, "that
you brought Ben West with you. It always makes me feel safer to think
that he is here."

"Ben will agree with you," replied Margaret, "I assure you. He assumes
full care of me and of the whole institution."

"Good boy, Ben," said Dick, heartily. "And he is a kind of link to that
old home and--with the past, the beautiful past, the past I like to
think of." The shadows were creeping up on Dick's face, deepening its
lines and emphasizing the look of weariness and unrest.

"A beautiful past it was," replied Margaret gently. "We ought to be
thankful that we have it."

"Have you heard anything?" inquired Dick.

"No. Iola's letter was the last. He had left London shortly after her
arrival, so Jack Charrington had told her. She didn't know where he had
gone. Charrington thought to the West somewhere, but there has been no
word since."

Dick put his head on the table and groaned aloud.

"Never mind, Dick, boy," said Margaret, laying her hand upon his head as
if he had been a child, "it will all come right some day."

"I can't stand it, Margaret!" groaned Dick, "I shut it out from me for
weeks and then it all comes over me again. It was my cursed folly that
wrecked everything! Wrecked Barney's life, Iola's, too, for all I know,
and mine!"

"You must not say wrecked," replied Margaret.

"What other word is there? Wrecked and ruined. I know what you would
say; but whatever the next life has for us, there is nothing left in
this that can atone!"

"That, too, you must not say, Dick," said Margaret. "God has something
yet for us. He always keeps for us better than He has given. The best is
always before us. Besides," she continued eagerly, "He has given you all
this work to do, this beautiful work."

The word recalled Dick. He sat up straight. "Yes, yes, I must not
forget. I am not worthy to touch it. He gave me this chance to work.
What else should I want? And after all, this is the best. I can't help
the heart-hunger now and then, but God forbid I should ever say a word
of anything but gratitude. I was down, down, far down out of sight. He
pulled me up. Who am I to complain? But I am not complaining! It is not
for myself. If there were only one word to know he was doing well, was
safe!" He turned suddenly to Margaret with an almost fierce earnestness.
"Margaret, do you think God will give me this?" His voice was hoarse
with the intensity of his passion. "Do you know, I sometime