yet no one came. The darkness that lay upon the
earth seemed, also, to lie heavily on her spirit.

But now, at last, with the gray light that told of coming day, there
crept into her heart a hope, a confidence, a serenity of faith that
set it quite at rest.

She drew back the curtains and threw open the windows to let in the
morning air.

The sky above the eastern hilltops was aglow with crimson; in the
zenith it was like the color of the sweet pale rose.

She felt and knew that her boy was living and that very soon he would
be with her. Doubt had disappeared wholly from her mind. She threw
open the great hall doors that he might have a gracious and a fitting
welcome to his home.

She went up once more to the room in which he was to lie until health
should return to him, to see that it was ready to receive him.

When she again descended the stairs she saw the poor, bent figure of
a man, carrying a burden in his arms, staggering weakly up the walk,
laboring with awful effort at the steps of the porch. He was wet and
wretched, he was hatless and ragged, but on his soiled face was a
smile befitting one of God's angels.

He kissed his burden tenderly, and gave it into the lady's arms.

He said:--

"I've brought 'im to ye fra the edge o' daith. His title to your luve
is pinnit on 'is breast. I'm thankfu'--thankfu' for ye--both."

Bachelor Billy's work was done. He had lived to place his dearest
treasure in the safest place on earth; there was nothing left for him
to do. He sank down gently to the floor of the broad hall. The first
sunlight of the new day flashed its rays against the stained-glass
windows, and the windows caught them and laid them in coverlets of
blue and gold across the prostrate form of this humblest of earth's
heroes.

Under them was no stain visible, no mark of poverty, no line of pain;
he lay like a king in state with the cloth of gold across his body,
and a crown of gold upon his head; but his soul, his brave, pure,
noble soul, ah! that was looking down from the serene and lofty
heights of everlasting life.

* * * * *

Yes, he lived, Ralph lived and became well and strong. He took his
name and his estates and chose his mother for his guardian; and life
for him was very, very beautiful.

The summer passed and the singing birds grew silent in the woods and
fields. The grain stood golden, and the ripe fruit dropped from vine
and tree. October came, with her