most tremendous of all uncertainties, which
shall solve for him the most vital of all questions: What is to become
of him after physical death? Is he to live again? Is he to see once
more those whom he loved the best?"

Ruhannah sat thinking in the red stove light, cross-legged, her slim
ankles clasped in either hand.

"But our souls are immortal," she said at last.

"Yes."

"Our Lord Jesus has said it."

"Yes."

"Then why should anybody not believe it?"

"Try to believe it always. Particularly after your mother and I are no
longer here, try to believe it.... You are unusually intelligent; and
if some day your intelligence discovers that it requires evidence for
belief seek for that evidence. It is obtainable. Try to recognise it
when you encounter it.... Only, in any event, remember this: never
alter your early faith, never destroy your childhood's belief until
evidence to prove the contrary convinces you."

"No.... There is no such evidence, is there, father?"

"I know of none."

"Then," said the girl calmly, "I shall take Christ's evidence that I
shall live again if I do no evil.... Father?"

"Yes."

"Is there any evidence that Adoniram has no soul?"

"I know of none."

"Is there any that he has a soul?"

"Yes, I think there is."

"Are you sure?"

"Not entirely."

"I wonder," mused the girl, looking gravely at the sleeping cat.

It was the first serious doubt that Ruhannah had ever entertained in
her brief career.

That night she dreamed of the Yellow Devil in Herr Wilner's box, and,
awaking, remembered her dream. It seemed odd, too, because she had not
even thought of the Yellow Devil for over a year.

But the menacing Mongol figure seemed bound to intrude into her life
once more and demand her attention as though resentful of long
oblivion and neglect; for, a week later, an old missionary from
Indo-China--a native Chinese--who had lectured at the Baptist Church
in Gayfield the evening previous, came to pay his respects to the
Reverend Wilbour Carew. And Rue had taken the Yellow Devil from the
olive-wood box that day and was busily making a pencil drawing of it.

At sight of the figure the native missionary's narrow almond eyes
opened extremely wide, and he leaned on the table and regarded the
bronze demon very intently.

Then he took from his pocket and adjusted to his button nose a pair of
large, horn spectacles; and he carefully examined the Chinese
characters engraved on the base