tears and the hand-clasp
with his father told the story of his reconciliation, of the bursting
out of the old love, which had not been extinguished, only smothered for
a time. Philip thought best that he should not become excited with the
meeting, and in a little while drew the Brother Man out into the other
room.

By this time it was nearly ten o'clock. The old man stood hesitating in
a curious fashion when Philip asked him to be seated. And again, as
before, he asked if he could find a place to stay over night.

"You haven't room to take me in," he said when Philip urged his welcome
upon him.

"Oh, yes, we have. We'll fix a place for you somewhere. Sit right down,
Brother Man."

The old man at once accepted the invitation and sat down. Not a trace of
anxiety or hesitation remained. The peacefulness of his demeanor was
restful to the weary Philip.

"How long has your son," Philip was going to say, "been away from home?"
Then he thought it might offend the old man, or that possibly he might
not wish to talk about it. But he quietly replied:

"I have not seen him for years. He was my youngest son. We quarreled.
All that is past. He did not know that to give up all that one has was
the will of God. Now he knows. When he is well we will go away
together--yes, together." He spread out his palms in his favorite
gesture, with plentiful content in his face and voice.

Philip was on the point of asking his strange guest to tell something of
his history, but his great weariness and the knowledge of the strength
needed for his Sunday work checked the questions that rose for answer.
Mrs. Strong also came in and insisted that he should get the rest he so
much needed. She arranged a sleeping-place on the lounge for the Brother
Man, who, after once more looking in upon his son and assuring himself
that he was resting, finally lay down with a look of great content upon
his beautiful face.

In the morning Philip almost expected to find that his visitor had
mysteriously disappeared, as on the other occasions. And he would not
have been so very much surprised if he had vanished, taking with him in
some strange fashion his newly discovered son. But it was that son who
now kept him there; and in the simplest fashion he stayed on, nursing
the sick man, who recovered very slowly. A month passed by after the
Brother Man had first found the lost at Philip's house, and he was still
a guest there. Within that month great events crowded