such a blunt way of putting it? _She_ may be
exchanging her earthly garb for a celestial one--but die! We do not
acknowledge death in the Church of the New Faith." He paused and blandly
stroked his huge left hand, covered with red down.

"Holiest Mother, my aunt, has not an hour to live," was the cool
response of the girl. "If you have no further question, I must ask you
to excuse me; I am needed above." She stepped to the door.

"Wait a moment, sister! Not so fast. The situation is serious. Hundreds
of thousands of the faithful depend on our report of this--of this sad
event. We may tell them that the female pope of our great religion"--he
bent his big neck reverently--"was wafted to her heavenly abode by the
angels. But there are the officers of the law, the undertaker, the
cemetery people, to be considered. Shall we acknowledge that our founder
has died like any other human--in bed, of a fever? And who is to be her
successor? Has she left a will?"

"Poor Aunt Mary!" muttered the girl.

"It must be a woman, will or no will," continued the Second Reader, in
the tone of a conqueror making terms with a stricken foe. "Now Aline,
sister, you are the nearest of kin. You are a fervent healer. _You_ are
the Woman."

"How can you stand there heartlessly plotting such things and a dying
woman in the house?" Aline's voice was metallic with passion. "You care
only for the money and power in our church. I refuse to join with you in
any such scheme. Aunt Mary will die. She will name her successor. Then
it will be time to act. Have you forgotten her last words to the
faithful?" She pointed to a marble tablet above the fireplace, which
bore this astounding phrase: "My first and forever message is one and
eternal." Nothing more,--but the men cowered before the sublime wisdom
uttered by a frail woman, wisdom that had started the emotional
machinery of two continents.

"But, great God! Miss Aline, you mustn't go off and leave us in this
fix." Drops of water stood on the forehead of the Second Reader. His
hands dropped to his side with a gesture of despair. His companion kept
to the corner, a scared being.

"You know as well as I do that _somebody_ has to take the throne seat
after--after your Aunt Mary dies--I mean, after Holiest Mother is
translated to eternity. Ask her, beg her, for some advice. We can't let
the great undertaking go to pieces--"

"You have little faith, brother," replied Aline. "If that message means
anythin