gly acceded,
thinking that Hugh was safer with her than any one else. Exchanging the
white wrapper she had worn through the day for one more suitable, Alice,
after an hour's rest in her own room, returned to Hugh, who had missed
her sadly, and who knew the moment she came back to him, even though his
eyes were closed, and he seemed to be half asleep.

"Mas'r Hugh won't die," and Muuggins' faith came to the rescue, throwing
a ray of hope into the darkness. "Miss Alice axed God to spar' him, and
so did I; now He will, won't He, miss?" and she turned to Adah, who,
with Sam, had just come up to Spring Bank, and hearing voices in the
kitchen had entered there first. "Say, Miss Adah, won't God cure Mas'r
Hugh--'ca'se I axed Him oncet?"

"You must pray more than once, child; pray many, many times," was Adah's
reply; whereupon Mug looked aghast, for the idea of praying a second
time had never entered her brain.

Still, if she must, why, she must, and she stole quietly from the
kitchen. But it was now too dark to go down in the woods by the running
brook, and remembering Alice had said that God was everywhere, she first
cast around her a timid glance, as if fearful she should see Him, and
then kneeling in the grass, wet with the heavy night dew, the little
negro girl prayed again for Master Hugh, starting as she prayed at the
sound which met her ear, and which came from the spot where Rocket still
was standing by the block, waiting for his master.

Claib had offered him food and offered him drink, but both had been
refused, and opening the stable door so that he could go in whenever he
chose, Claib had left him there alone, solitary watcher of the night,
waiting for poor Hugh.

Returning to the house, Mug stole upstairs to the door of the sickroom,
where Alice was now alone with Hugh.

He was awake, and for an instant seemed to know her, for he attempted to
speak, but the rational words died on his lips, and he only moaned, as
if in distress.

"What is it?" Alice said, bending over him.

"Are you the Golden Haired?" he asked again, as her curls swept his
face.

"Who is Golden Hair?" Alice asked, and instantly the great tears
gathered in Hugh's dark eyes as he replied:

"Don't say who is she, but who was she. I've never told a living being
before. Golden Hair was a bright angel who crossed my path one day, and
then disappeared forever, leaving behind the sweetest memory a mortal
man ever possessed. She's dead, Chestn