e quite near did she raise her head, and then she seemed to know
nothing of her. When she did recognize her, she held out her hand in a
mechanical way, as if they were two specters met in a miserable dream,
in which they were nothing to each other, and neither could do, or
cared to do, anything for the other.

"My poor Letty!" cried Mary, greatly shocked, "what has come to you?
Are you not glad to see me? Has anything happened to Tom?"

She broke into a low, childish wail, and for a time that was all Mary
heard. Presently, however, she became aware of a feeble moaning in the
adjoining chamber, the sound of a human sea in trouble--mixed with a
wandering babble, which to Letty was but as the voice of her own
despair, and to Mary was a cry for help. She abandoned the attempt to
draw anything from Letty, and went into the next room, the door of
which stood wide. There lay Tom, but so changed that Mary took a moment
to be certain it was he. Going softly to him, she laid her hand on his
head. It was burning. He opened his eyes, but she saw their sense was
gone. She went back to Letty, and, sitting down beside her, put her arm
about her, and said:

"Why didn't you send for me, Letty? I would have come to you at once. I
will come now, to-night, and help you to nurse him. Where is the baby?"

Letty gave a shriek, and, starting from her chair, walked wildly about
the room, wringing her hands. Mary went after her, and taking her in
her arms, said:

"Letty, dear, has God taken your baby?"

Letty gave her a lack-luster look.

"Then," said Mary, "he is not far away, for we are all in God's arms."

But what is the use of the most sovereign of medicines while they stand
on the sick man's table? What is the mightiest of truths so long as it
is not believed? The spiritually sick still mocks at the medicine
offered; he will not know its cure. Mary saw that, for any comfort to
Letty, God was nowhere. It went to her very heart. Death and desolation
and the enemy were in possession. She turned to go, that she might
return able to begin her contest with ruin. Letty saw that she was
going, and imagined her offended and abandoning her to her misery. She
flew to her, stretching out her arms like a child, but was so feeble
that she tripped and fell. Mary lifted her, and laid her wailing on her
couch.

"Letty," said Mary, "you didn't think I was going to leave you! But I
must go for an hour, perhaps two, to make arrangements for staying