back into the hall, shut the door, and placed his back
against it.

"You cannot go out into this storm until I know whether you have a place
to go to for the night."

The man hesitated curiously, shuffled his feet on the mat, put his hand
up to his face, and passed it across his eyes with a gesture of great
weariness. There was a look of loneliness and of unknown sorrow about
his whole figure that touched Philip's keenly sensitive spirit
irresistibly. If the man was a little out of his right mind, he was
probably harmless. They could not turn him out into the night if he had
nowhere to go.

"Brother Man," said Philip, gently, "would you like to stay here
to-night? Have you anywhere else to stay?"

"You are afraid I will do harm. But no. See. Let us sit down."

He laid his hat on the table, resumed his seat and asked Philip for a
Bible. Philip handed him one. He opened it and read a chapter from the
Prophet Isaiah, and then; sitting in the chair, bowing his head between
his hands, he offered a prayer of such wonderful beauty and spiritual
refinement of expression that Mr. and Mrs. Strong listened with awed
astonishment.

When he had uttered the amen Mrs. Strong whispered to Philip, "Surely we
cannot shut him out with the storm. We will give him the spare room."

Philip said not a word. He at once built up a fire in the room, and in a
few moments invited the man into it.

"Brother Man," he said simply, "stay here as if this was your own house.
You are welcome for the night."

"Yes, heartily welcome," said Philip's wife, as if to make amends for
any doubts she had felt before.

For reply the "Brother Man" raised his hand almost as if in benediction.
And they left him to his rest.

CHAPTER XII.

In the morning Philip knocked at his guest's door to waken him for
breakfast. Not a sound could be heard within. He waited a little while
and then knocked again. It was as still as before. He opened the door
softly and looked in.

To his amazement there was no one there. The bed was made up neatly,
everything in the room was in its place, but the strange being who had
called himself "Brother Man" was gone.

Philip exclaimed, and his wife came in.

"So our queer guest has flown! He must have been very still about it; I
heard no noise. Where do you suppose he is? And who do you suppose he
is?"

"Are you sure there ever was such a person, Philip? Don't you think you
dreamed all that about the 'Brother Man