s. She had seen too much, felt too
much in the past eight hours. Soul and body were numb.

The first impressions of returning consciousness were fixed on Nance.
She had risen suddenly from the floor and smoothed the hair back from
Jim's forehead with tender touch as if afraid to wake him. She drew the
quilt from the kitchen floor, spread it over the body, and lifted her
eyes to Mary's. It was only too plain.

Reason had gone.

She tipped close and put her fingers on her lips.

"Sh! We mustn't wake him. He's tired. Let him sleep. It's my boy. He's
come home. We'll fix him a fine Christmas dinner. I've got a turkey.
I'll bake a cake----" she paused and laughed softly. "I've got eggs too,
fresh laid yesterday. We'll make egg-nog all day and all night. I ain't
had no Christmas since that devil stole him. We'll have one this time,
won't we?"

The girl's wits were again alert. She must run for help. A minute to
humor the old woman's delusion and she might return before any harm
came to her. Jim had not moved a muscle. It was plain that he was beyond
help.

"Yes," Mary answered cheerfully. "You fix the cake--and I'll get the
wood to make a fire."

Nance laughed again.

"We'll have the dinner all ready for him when he wakes, won't we?"

"Yes. I'll be back in a few minutes."

Nance hurried into the kitchen humming an old song in a faltering voice
that sent the cold chills down the girl's spine.

Mary slipped quietly through the door and ran with swift, sure foot down
the narrow road along which the machine had picked its way the afternoon
before. The cabin they had passed last could not be more than a mile.

She made no effort to find the logs for pedestrians when the road
crossed the brook. She plunged straight through the babbling waters with
her shoes, regardless of skirts.

Panting for breath, she saw the smoke curling from the cabin chimney a
quarter of a mile away.

"Thank God!" she cried. "They're awake!"

She was so glad to have reached her goal, her strength suddenly gave way
and she dropped to a boulder by the wayside to rest. In two minutes she
was up and running with all her might.

She rushed to the door and knocked.

A mountaineer in shirt-sleeves and stockings answered with a look of
mild wonder.

"For God's sake come and help me. I must have a doctor quick. We spent
the night at Mrs. Owens'. She's lost her mind completely--a terrible
thing has happened--you'll help me?"

"Cose I will, ho