that I don't appreciate your affection, and love you
with all my heart for it. Neither of you ever stops to think how much
credit you both deserve. Sometimes I wonder what I ever did to bring me
so many true friends. I never properly realized their worth until this
summer. Living in the shadow has taught me a great deal.

"The very fact that all my friends have stood by me so firmly has made
me see that I owe it to them to be strong and steadfast through all. It
has taught me, too, that I can't afford to be selfish. When Tom first
went away I used to think that, if he never came back, there wouldn't be
anything worth living for, ever again. But it came to me by degrees that
such a viewpoint was utterly selfish; that I had a great deal to live
for. Father and Mother, first of all; then Mrs. Gray and my friends. So
I made up my mind that if worse came to worst, I would devote myself to
them more than ever and thus try to make up for my own loss."

"Of course you would," agreed Elfreda, with a ready tenderness that
arose from the emotion that had welled up within her at Grace's
unconscious revelation of unselfishness. "No one knows that better than
I know it."

"I wonder what the postman has brought us this morning?" Grace had
decided that it was high time to lead the talk away from herself. She
had spoken to Elfreda with utter frankness of her inner resolve, yet she
could not bear to continue longer on the subject. It presented too
vividly the possibility of Tom's non-return, and she had schooled
herself not to dwell upon such a contingency.

"We'll soon know." They were now within a short distance of the
Harlowe's home. "I hope Ma hasn't decided that I ought to go back to law
school and written me to that effect," grumbled Elfreda. "Now I am here,
I'd like to keep on being here until----" She paused.

"Until we hear good news," finished Grace softly. "I wish you would stay
with me as long as you can, Elfreda. When the good news comes, I'd like
you to be here to share it."

"Oh, I'll stay," assured Elfreda, "provided I can win Ma over to my
views. It will be the same as using my powers of eloquence to convince a
doubtful jury that the prisoner is innocent. There is nothing like
practice," she reminded, her wide, boyish grin in mischievous evidence.

"Have we a heavy mail this morning, Mother?" was Grace's eager inquiry
as she and Elfreda came up the front steps to the veranda. Established
in a wide-armed rocking c