A sort of convulsion passed through the child's body, which the mother
felt in the clinging arms. Then the little thing let go of her, and
took the edge of her apron and passed it gently across her mother's
eyes. "Don't cry," she said--"I shall be all right." Frau Rauchfuss
looked down into a pair of earnest and determined eyes. "Put your head
down on my shoulder again, and don't worry," said the child. The
mother's heart was wonderfully lightened; she felt that she had with
her a noble little being who could bring her comfort.

"If you die," said the child gravely, "will they put you in a coffin
and carry you away and put you in the ground and cover you all up with
earth?"

"Yes," said the mother.

"Won't you ever be able to come back?"

"No. Then I shall be with God."

"Is God good?" asked the child.

"Yes--God is good."

"Good ...?" the child said thoughtfully.

The mother looked at her with surprise. "Other mothers don't tell their
children when they are going to die; but I had to--it was needful that
you should know."

"That's all right," said the child; "tell me everything. Tell me all I
must do at home, after you're dead. I'll look after father.... And when
are you going to die?"

"I don't know yet."

"Well, then ..." said the child. They sat a while in silence on the low
wall, on which in the times long ago the statue of the sorrowful Mother
of God had stood. The child was not crying now, but gazing steadily and
seriously before her. The mother also wept no longer; she had found
comfort, and looked down wonderingly at the strong, grave little thing
that sat by her side. From this day she felt herself no more alone or
comfortless.

And when, a year later, the time to die really came, and she held the
hand of Beate, now eleven years old, in hers, she felt confident that
the child would know how to help herself and others. She commended her
to God, but to no one else. In the last hard moments of the struggle
she felt that she had some one noble and strong by her, comforting her
with silent power.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

And now Captain Rauchfuss was all alone with his little "Tubby."

His wife had often been an uncomfortable companion to him. He had
imagined something quite different under the name of a wife; and now it
was not so very different with his little "Tubby." He expected to find
in her a pretty little plaything, and began to realize that inst