ene. Minnie stood on
the firmer ice away from the bank, moaning in continued agitation, but
already rescued. It was Arthur Winslow who had saved her.

Now he gained the bank with the dripping girl, where he yielded her to
his wife, and without a word from him, from Isabel, or from Leonard to
any one but the incessantly talking maid, the four hurried up the path.
When they reached the arbor Ruth had joined them, and there the three
women turned to the cottage. Leonard passed on toward his home. Arthur
went into his own house.

In the cottage, while being hurried into dry clothes, Minnie more
coherently explained her mishap. Wishing to play a joke on Giles, she
had slipped away from the fireside company of him and Sarah to put a
match to his fagots on the pond, run back with word that they were
burning, and laugh with Sarah while Giles should plunge out to find the
incendiaries. But she had forgotten how frail good ice may be against a
warm bank, and leaping down, had promptly broken through. She had had
the fortune to hold on by the ice's outer edge until Arthur, whom she
felt sure only Providence could have sent there, drew her out. She was
tearfully ashamed, yet not so broken in spirit but she fiercely vowed
she would get even with Giles for this yet.

Leonard went to his room, Arthur to his, and each in his way shut
himself in to darkness, silence, and the fury of his own heart.

One of the things most harrowing to Leonard was that, at every turn,
the active part fell to Arthur, while him fate held mercilessly to the
passive; and his soul writhed in unworded prayer for any conceivable
turn of events that would give him leave to act, to do!

But all he could do was done. Godfrey was sent for: everything must
await his coming. Heaven hold Arthur's hand till Godfrey could come!

Ruth returned home and began to lock up the house. When, presently, she
tapped at her brother's door and looked in, he had lighted the room and
was reading his telegram.

"All right over the way," she said, and to hurry on over the grim
untruth repeated briefly Minnie's story. "Good-night. You go--to-morrow?
Well, you'll make haste back."

She left him, but later returned.

"Leonard." At the slightly opened door she thrust in her Bible, with a
finger on the line, "My soul, wait thou only upon God."

"Thank you," said the brother. "Good-night. I'm afraid we've kept Him
waiting on us."

XVI

MUST GIVE YOU UP

Over on the Wi