a still more earnest look came
into her eyes. She bent over her bit of sewing for a moment and then
looking up, as though resolved to speak the truth at any cost, she went
on:

"Mrs. Hayden, it is the fulfillment of the promises in the Bible, that
to them that believe, these signs should be given. You remember the
passage don't you, where Jesus gave His disciples the same power to heal
that He had?"

"Well, but that was long ago, and the promise was for the disciples, I
suppose."

"No, it was for everybody; and do you know, Mrs. Hayden, I can hardly
wait to learn this new method, I am so interested."

"How did you hear about it?"

"When I was down to Mapleton last summer I heard something about it
through a friend of mine, who was cured of chronic congestive headaches,
and now my cousin, Miss Greening, from Norfolk, has come on to spend the
holidays with us, and strange to say, she has been cured of weak
eyes--just came straight from Princeton where she was treated,
and--and--well, the fact is, I want you to come over and see her and may
be _you_ can be cured."

Mrs. Reade was quite frightened for having said so much, but was
reassured by the growing interest in Mrs. Hayden's eyes.

"And you know these things to be true? Why, it _is_ wonderful. How is it
done, by prayer?"

"Not exactly, but it is by some process of thinking. Oh, I can't begin
to tell you, only that it is wonderful, and you must come over and talk
with cousin Helen."

"I am afraid to trust myself out in this uncertain weather. Can't you
both come and take tea with us to-morrow? I hope to be well enough then,
and it would be a great pleasure, for if there is any truth in this, I
want to know it. Do come."

This was a good deal for Mrs. Hayden to say, but she was very earnest
when aroused to interest.

"Yes, we will," said Mrs. Reade, as she rose to go, looking straight
into her friend's eyes with joyful earnestness, "and I am so glad. Good
bye," and she retreated as unceremoniously as she had come, leaving Mrs.
Hayden to wonder why she should be so childishly pleased over that
invitation. It never occurred to her that Mrs. Reade should be so glad
to come merely to tell more about this new way of getting well.

Mrs. Reade was a young housekeeper, who, living just across the street,
was in the habit of often running in to Mrs. Hayden with her little
vexations, her triumphs of cookery, her questions of how to manage
little May, or what to d