randmother was awake now.

"Are you there, Katie? Is your tea masket? Give a cup of tea to your
grandfather now; it will refresh him; and I think I could take a cup
myself."

"All right, grannie dear," said Katie, cheerfully; "and in the meantime
take a little milk," and she held the cup to her lips. "And now, if you
should fall asleep, it will be all the better till the tea be ready."

Katie smoothed the pillows and put the bedclothes straight, and touched
her lips to the white cheek; then it was turned to rest on the thin hand
and grannie fell asleep. Davie rose up at Katie's bidding, and went to
get wood to kindle the fire. Katie let the curtain fall again over the
open window, and softly closed the door, as she followed her grandfather
out of the room.

"We'll let her sleep," said the old man, and he went out with slow,
languid steps into the sunshine.

It was hardly sunshine yet, for though the light lay clear on the
hill-tops, all the valley was in shadow, and the mist lay low along the
course of Beaver River in great irregular masses, white, but with great
"splatches" of colour here and there where the sun touched it. The dew
lay heavy on the grass, and the garden bushes and the orchard trees, and
on Katie's flowers, and the sweet breath of green things came pleasantly
to his sense as he sat down on his accustomed seat by the door.

Birds were chirping in the orchard trees, and there was the scarcely
less pleasant sound of barn-door fowls near at hand. The sheep behind
the pasture-bars sent their greeting over the dewy fields, and the cows
in the yard "mowed" placidly as they stirred one another with soft, slow
movements. How fair and peaceful the place looked! How full of calm
and quiet, yet strong life!

The old man closed his eyes on it all. He was not thinking, he was
hardly feeling. The night had brought broken slumbers, but not rest,
and he was very weary. A wondering question, whether she could be going
to die on such a day as this, passed through his mind. It did not seem
possible.

"And besides, she and he said she could not die till I had forgiven my
enemy."

But he was too weary to go over it all again--the long heart-breaking
story. He could only sit still with closed eyes, waiting.

And it was thus that the minister and Jacob Holt found him. They had
said little to one another as they passed through the dewy fields, and
under the long shadows of the wayside trees together.