o
ruins, and Robert reasoned himself away from the old beliefs and dogmas
because he investigated them. He used his God-given reason, and I think
that is to be used as well as the blind, unquestioning faith of
Catherine."

"There are times when we need faith and times when we need reason, but
faith applies to religion and reason to the things of the world,"
replied Kate, recalling what she had heard a few Sundays before.

"Well, to me the ideal of religion is a marriage, a union of faith and
reason--but this is idle talk. What does anybody know of such perfection
as I demand anyway?"

Grace impatiently pushed her chair away from the table, and went to look
at her picture again, in a decidedly gloomy mood.

CHAPTER III.

"Such is the world, understand it, despise it, love it; cheerfully
hold on thy way through it, with thy eye on highest
loadstars."--_Carlyle._

It was a week since the party. Mrs. Hayden had been to the opera and
returned late. Her husband was absent on a business trip, and she felt a
vague uneasiness come over her as she entered the room. She knew not
why, but it seemed unusually lonely without him. She seldom went out
alone, but to-night she had gone out as much to while away the time as
to hear the music. After paying her usual visit to the nursery, she went
to bed, but slept little for several hours.

About 4 o'clock she was awakened by stifling fumes of smoke and
startling cries of fire. Was it too late? She sprang up and ran to the
nursery stairs, but the scorching flames met her, and she retreated to
the window, shrieking for help, only to get a glimpse of someone through
the smoke climbing toward her.

"Hold on!" cried the fireman, and reached out his arms for her just as
she fell back fainting. Grasping her firmly, the brave man dragged her
out of the window, and began his perilous descent. When about half way
down, the ladder fell, but its burden was expected, and mattress and
bed-clothing saved them from what might have been worse. As it was, the
fireman escaped with a few bruises and slight scorching, and Mrs.
Hayden with a broken limb. First they feared she was dead, but after a
few moments she revived and moaned feebly for husband and children.
Little Mabel clung desperately to her mother, and sobbingly told her
"only the house was burnt. Fred and Jamie were safe, and now she must
get up and be glad." Poor child, instinctively she knew the value of
life abo