s I should hae
done an' said after I left her. It was terrible," and he relapsed into
silence again, as he went on with his supper.

His mother saw all the pain in his heart that night, though neither
spoke much of the state of his feelings for Mysie; but it was evident to
her who saw all the cross currents of fate, perhaps more clearly than
Robert knew.

She looked at him with furtive pride. There was no showy parading of
what he felt, but only the set of the mouth was a little firmer perhaps
than usual and the eyes a little softer and glistening. That was all.

"Ay, Robin," she said brokenly, unable to hide her pride and weakness.
"I ken a' that you hinna telt me. I guessed it years syne; but I'm sure
noo. An' I'm awfu' vexed, laddie; ay, I'm awfu' vexed," and with that he
withdrew to his room, more touched with her simple words of sympathy
than anything she had ever said to him in all her previous life.

Mrs. Sinclair went to bed, but she knew her laddie had not done so. She
heard him in his room and knew that in the silence of the night and in
the privacy and secrecy of his own room he was fighting out his battle
with fate, and she knew that no one could help him--that only the fiber
of his own soul could help him through.

In the morning he rose early and went for a walk, for it was Sunday.
Returning, he found his mother with the latest news of Mysie's
condition. She waited until the other members of the house had gone out,
and then with a sigh observed very quietly but with a world of tender
sympathy in her voice:

"Mysie's sinkin' fast, Robin. I think you should gang ower and see her.
She canna' last very lang, puir thing, an' she was askin' aboot you when
I was ower. I think she wad like to see you. You'll gang ower and see
her, Rob," she entreated, a sob in her throat as she spoke. "She'll be
awfu' pleased to see you."

"Ay, I'll gang ower, mither," he replied simply. "I'll gang ower efter a
wee while."

But it was drawing near to the darkness when he managed to summon
sufficient resolution to face the ordeal.

Mysie was lying in the room and he went in to see her--her whom he would
have given his own life to restore to activity and health again. A low
moan occasionally escaped her as she panted and battled for breath and
the color came and faded from her cheeks in quick fleeting waves.

Oh God! Was this Mysie--this faint apparition of the girl whom he had
loved? Even in the short month when he had