ty, or penetrate the greyness which never parts save for a
passage! As if all Miss Ainslie's love and faith could bring the dead to
life again, even to be forgiven!

Her lips quivered when she thought of Miss Ainslie's tenderness for Carl
and the little whispered lullabies that she sang to herself, over and
over again. "She does not know," thought Ruth. "Thank God, she will
never know!"

She put the rest of the things into the chest and closed it, covering
it, as before, with the rug Miss Ainslie loved. When she went into
the other room, she was asleep again, with her cheek pillowed on the
letters, while Carl sat beside her, holding her hand and pondering over
the mystery he could not explain. Ruth's heart ached for those two, so
strangely brought together, who had but this little hour to atone for a
lifetime of loss.

The first faint lines of light came into the eastern sky. Ruth stood by
the window, watching the colour come on the grey above the hill, while
two or three stars still shone dimly. The night lamp flickered, then
went out. She set it in the hall and came back to the window.

As Miss Ainslie's rug had been woven, little by little, purple, crimson,
and turquoise, gleaming with inward fires, shone upon the clouds.
Carl came over to Ruth, putting his arm around her. They watched it
together--that miracle which is as old as the world, and yet ever new.
"I don't see--" he began.

"Hush, dear," Ruth whispered, "I know, and I'll tell you some time, but
I don't want her to know."

The sky brightened slowly, and the intense colour came into the room
with the light. Ruth drew the curtains aside, saying, in a low tone,
"it's beautiful, isn't it?"

There was a sudden movement in the room and they turned, to see Miss
Ainslie sitting up, her cheeks flushed, and the letters scattered around
her. The ribbon had slipped away, and her heavy white hair fell over her
shoulders. Ruth went to her, to tie it back again, but she put her away,
very gently, without speaking.

Carl stood by the window, thinking, and Miss Ainslie's eyes rested upon
him, with wonder and love. The sunrise stained her white face and her
eyes shone brightly, as sapphires touched with dawn. The first ray of
the sun came into the little room and lay upon her hair, changing its
whiteness to gleaming silver. Then all at once her face illumined, as
from a light within.

Carl moved away from the window, strangely drawn toward her, and her
face becam