aid; "I'd rather just lie
still."

"Oh, Jack, you're not going to be ill too, are you?" cried Betty, the
tears starting to her eyes.

"No, I'm not ill, only I can't read; I wish I could see how mother
looks."

"She looks all right," said Betty encouragingly; "she's got a lovely
color in her cheeks, only I wish she'd wake up and talk about things. I
don't know what to do about going to market, and I suppose we ought to
tell her pupils she can't give them any lessons to-day."

"She's talking now, I hear her," said Jack in a tone of relief. "Oh,
Betty, she's calling me. Yes, mother, dear, I'm all right; I'm so glad
you're better."

Betty flew to her mother's side.

"Are you better, mother?" she asked eagerly. "I'm so glad you're awake,
because I want to ask----" She paused abruptly, terrified by the strange
look in those bright, feverish eyes. Her mother was looking straight
into her face, but did not seem to see her.

"Jack, Jack," she kept repeating in her low, hoarse whisper, "Jack, I
want you. I did wrong, I know, but you will forgive me. You will be good
to the children, and love them for my sake, won't you, Jack?"

Betty's face was very white, her eyes big with terror.

"Jack," she gasped, running back to her brother's room, and flinging
herself down beside him in an abandonment of grief and despair,
"mother's talking in her sleep; she doesn't know what she's saying. She
thinks Uncle Jack is here. Oh, what shall we do--what shall we do?"

"We'll have to get some one to come and see her," said Jack with
decision. "Run down and ask Mrs. Hamilton to come; I know she will,
she's so kind."

Betty sprang to her feet.

"I'll go right away," she said, "perhaps she'll know what to do. Mother
says she can't afford to have a doctor. Oh, there's the door bell; I'm
so glad somebody's come."

She ran to the door, threw it open, and then drew back a step in
surprise. The visitor was Winifred Hamilton.

"Good-morning," said Winifred pleasantly. "Mother's gone out shopping
with Aunt Estelle, and she said I might come and see you and Jack. I was
coming before, but I've had a bad cold ever since Saturday, and mother
was afraid of the draughts on the stairs. I haven't been to school all
the week. Why, what's the matter--is Jack ill?"

"No," said Betty; "Jack's all right, but oh, I'm so sorry your mother's
gone out. I was just going to ask her if she wouldn't please come up
here to see mother."

"Is there something