Frank, dear, I am ill."

His heart almost stopped. "Ill? Oh, my darlin', what is it? Is it
serious? Tell me it isn't serious?" and his voice rang with a note of
agony.

"Oh, no, I don't think so. I saw the doctor to-day. He said I must be
careful--very careful until--until--our baby is born."

"An' ye kept it all to yerself, me brave one, me dear one. All right.
We won't go back. We'll stay here. I'll make them find me work. I'm
strong. I'm clever too and crafty, Angela. I'll wring it from this
hustling, city. I'll fight it and beat it. Me darlin' shall have
everything she wants. My little mother--my precious little mother."

He cradled her in his strong arms and together they sat for hours and
the pall of his poverty fell from them and they pictured the future
rose-white and crowned with gold--a future in which there were
THREE--the trinity one and undivided.

Presently she fell asleep in his arms. He raised his eyes to heaven and
prayed God to help him in his hour of striving. He prayed that the
little life sleeping so calmly in his arms would be spared him.

"Oh God! answer my prayer, I beseech you," he cried. Angela smiled
contentedly in her sleep and spoke his same. It seemed to O'Connell as
if his prayer had been heard and answered. He gathered the slight form
up in, his arms and carried her to her room and sat by her until dawn.

It was the first night for many weeks that she had slept through till
morning without starting out of her sleep in pain. This night she
slumbered like a child and a smile played on her lips as though her
dreams were happy ones.

CHAPTER II

A COMMUNICATION FROM NATHANIEL KINGSNORTH

The months that followed were the hardest in O'Connell's life. Strive
as he would he could find no really remunerative employment. He had no
special training. He knew no trade. His pen, though fluent, was not
cultured and lacked the glow of eloquence he had when speaking. He
worked in shops and in factories. He tried to report on newspapers. But
his lack of experience everywhere handicapped him. What he contrived to
earn during those months of struggle was all too little as the time
approached for the great event.

Angela was now entirely confined to her bed. She seemed to grow more
spirit-like every day. A terrible dread haunted O'Connell waking and
sleeping. He would start out of some terrible dream at night and listen
to her breathing. When he would hurry back at the close of some lon