the breakfast table and disclosed in
part his plans. He would not tell her all there was in his mind lest it
should not be fulfilled, but when at parting with her he did say:

"Suppose you have three children when I return instead of two, is there
room in your heart for the third?"

"Yes, always room for Helen," was the reply, as with a kiss of
benediction Mrs. Banker sent her boy away.

CHAPTER XLV.

CHRISTMAS EVE AT SILVERTON.

There was to be a Christmas tree at St. John's, and all the week the
church had been the scene of much confusion. But all the work was over
now; the church was swept and dusted, the tree with its gay adornings
was in its place, the little ones, who, trying to help, had hindered and
vexed so much, were gone, as were their mothers, and only tarried with
the organ boy to play the Christmas carol, which Katy was to sing alone,
the children joining in the chorus as they had been trained to do. It
was very quiet there, and very pleasant too, with the fading sunlight
streaming through the chancel window, lighting up the cross above it,
and falling softly on the wall where the evergreens were hung with the
sacred words: "Peace on earth and good will toward men." And Helen felt
the peace stealing over her as by the register she sat down for a moment
ere going to the organ loft where the boy was waiting for her. Not even
the remembrance of the dark war cloud hanging over the land disturbed
her then, as her thoughts went backward eighteen hundred years to
Bethlehem's manger and the little child whose birth the angels sang. And
as she thought, that Child seemed to be with her, a living presence to
which she prayed, leaning her head upon the railing of the pew in front
and asking Him to keep her in the perfect peace she felt around her now.
She had given Mark Ray up, and giving up had made a cruel wound, but she
did not feel it now, although she thought of him in that quiet hour,
asking God to keep him in safety wherever he might be, whether in the
lonely watch or kneeling as she hoped he might in some house of God,
where the Christmas carols would be sung and the Christmas story told.

A movement of her hand as she lifted up her head struck against the
pocket of her dress, where lay the letter brought to her an hour or so
ago--Bell's letter--which, after glancing at the superscription, she had
put aside until a more convenient season for reading it.

Taking it out, she tore open the envelope