interpretation; but
Laurie decided it was not worth while to be humorous.

"What about the Witch of Endor?" he asked innocently, instead.

"That was in the Old Testament," answered his mother rapidly. "Mr.
Rymer said something about that too."

"Oh! wasn't it really Samuel who appeared?"

"Mr. Rymer thinks that things were permitted then that are not
permitted now."

Laurie drank up his cup of tea. It is a humiliating fact that extreme
grief often renders the mourner rather cross. There was a distinct air
of crossness about Laurie at this moment. His nerves were very near
the top.

"Well, that's very convenient," he said. "Maggie, do you know if
there's any book on Spiritualism in the house?"

The girl glanced uneasily near the fire-place.

"I don't know," she said. "Yes; I think there's something up there. I
believe I saw it the other day."

Laurie rose and stood opposite the shelves.

"What color is it? (No, no more tea, thanks.)"

"Er ... black and red, I think," said the girl. "I forget."

She looked up at him, faintly uneasy, as he very deliberately drew
down a book from the shelf and turned the pages.

"Yes ... this is it," he said. "Thanks very much.... No, really no
more tea, thanks, mother."

Then he went to the door, with his easy, rather long steps, and
disappeared. They heard his steps in the inner hall. Then a door
closed overhead.

Mrs. Baxter contentedly poured herself out another cup of tea.

"Poor boy," she said. "He's thinking of that girl still. I'm glad he's
got something to occupy his mind."

The end room, on the first floor, was Laurie's possession. It was a
big place, with two windows, and a large open fire, and he had
skillfully masked the fact that it was a bedroom by disposing his
furniture, with the help of a screen, in such a manner as completely
to hide the bed and the washing arrangements.

The rest of the room he had furnished in a pleasing male kind of
fashion, with a big couch drawn across the fire, a writing-table and
chairs, a deep easy chair near the door, and a long, high bookcase
covering the wall between the door and the windows. His college oar,
too, hung here, and there were pleasant groups and pictures scattered
on the other walls.

Maggie did not often come in here, except by invitation, but about
seven o'clock on this evening, half an hour before she had to go and
dress, she thought she would look in on him for a few minutes. She was
still a little un