's more worth
while. But don't talk any more about my affairs. Tell me something
about yours. Are you going to be long in the woods?"

It was a delightful walk all the way up to Rosemount, for Roderick
managed to get up courage to ask if he might go all the way, and even
kept her at the gate a few minutes before he said good-bye, and he
promised, quite of his own accord, to visit Camp Hamilton if it was not
far from Beaver Landing, his headquarters, and when he returned he
would report to her Billy's progress.

CHAPTER X

"THE LIGHT RETREATED"

About two weeks after Billy Perkins had gone north, Helen Murray went
down to Willow Lane from school to see his family. She had been there
only the evening before, and had found them doing well. The faded
little mother had never been quite so courageous since Minnie's death,
but Bill's new start had put them beyond the immediate possibility of
want and given fresh hope. There had been two very cheery letters from
him which Helen had read aloud, so the little wife was trying to be
happy in her loneliness, and was looking forward hopefully to Billy's
return in the spring.

But January had set in bitterly cold and there had been a heavy snow
fall during the morning. Helen feared that Eddie might not have been
able to get the wood in, so as soon as Madame and her flock had
departed, she turned down towards Willow Lane. She had been in
Algonquin only a little over three months but already the
self-forgetting tasks she had set herself, were beginning to work their
cure. She had not regained her old joyousness, and often she was still
very sad and lonely; but there had come a calm light into her deep
eyes, and an expression of sweet courage and strength to her face, that
had not been there in the old careless happy days. She was growing
very fast, these busy days, though she was quite unconscious of it in
her complete absorption in other people's troubles.

She had left the Perkins family in such comfortable circumstances, the
day before, that she was startled and dismayed to find everything in
confusion. The neighbours were running in and out of the open door,
the fire was out, the baby was crying, and the little mother lay on the
bed prostrated.

"What is it?" cried Helen, stopping in the open doorway in dismay.
"Oh, what's the matter?"

Mrs. Hurd and Judy Cassidy were moving helplessly about the room. At
the sight of their friend the latter cried out, "N