are half dead."

"No, I am quite right, and besides, there's Ike. I ought to look after
Ike."

"Don't you worry about Ike," said the Convener. "He's able to look
after himself; besides I'll look him up when I get you to sleep. Come
now," and he led him into the tiny bedroom. "You get into bed; I'll
bring you a cup of tea and you can sleep. No one will disturb you, and,
I'll wake you at the right time, never fear."

"I don't think I am sleepy," said Shock; but when in a few minutes his
friend came back with his cup of tea he found Shock in a sleep so
profound that he had not the heart to wake him. "Poor chap, poor chap!"
said the Convener, looking down upon the strong, rugged face, now so
haggard. "This is a hard country!"

For hours Shock lay dead in sleep. Before nightfall the Convener went
to look up Ike, and on his return found his guest still asleep. "Let
him sleep, it will do him good," he said to his kind-hearted wife, who
would have wakened Shock to have supper.

"We'll let him sleep till an answer comes to his wire." Late at night
he went down to the telegraph office.

"Yes," replied the clerk in answer to his enquiry, "there's a wire for
Mr. Macgregor just come in. Bad news, too, I guess."

The Convener took the message and read: "Your mother passed away in
perfect peace this evening. Your message brought her great joy. She
wished me to send this reply: 'The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not
want. Stay at your post, lad, till He calls:' HELEN."

"'Stay at your post till He calls,'" read the Convener again. "A great
soul that. That word will do him good."

He was right. He found Shock waiting for him, calm, expectant, and
ready to bear whatever life might bring, nor did his face change as he
read the wire over and over again. He only said: "God is very good to
us. She went away in peace, and she got my wire and I hers."

"Yes," said the Convener, "God is always good. We sometimes cannot see
it, but," he added, "it was a great matter that your sister could have
been there with her."

"My sister?" said Shock. "Oh!" a sudden flush reddening his pale cheek.
"She's not my sister--she's my--she's our friend, yes, a dear friend.
It would be a great joy to my mother to have her."

There was no sign of grief in his face, but a great peace seemed to
have settled upon him. Long into the night he talked over the affairs
of his mission field, giving in response to the keen questions of his
Convener a full accou