rd to Margaret Mueller."

Grant shook his head and the Doctor left the shop. At the doorway he met
Captain Morton, and seemed to be telling him the news, for the Captain's
face showed the sorrow and concern that he felt. He hurried in and took
Grant's hand and held it affectionately.

"Grant, your mother was with my wife her last night on earth; I wish I
could help you, son. I'll run right down to your father."

And the Captain left in the corner of the store the model of a patent
coffee pot he was handling at the time and went away without his morning
paper. Mr. Van Dorn came in, picked up his paper, snipped off the end of
his cigar at the machine, lighted the cigar, considered his fine raiment
a moment, adjusted his soft hat at a proper angle, pulled up his tie,
and seeing the youth, said: "By George, young man, this is sad news I
hear; give the good father my sympathy. Too bad."

When Grant went home, the silence of death hung over the little house,
in spite of the bustling of Mrs. Nesbit. And Grant sat outside on a
stone by his father under the gray sky.

In the house the prattle of the child with the women made the house seem
pitifully lonesome. Jasper was expressing his sorrow by chopping wood
down in the timber. Jasper was an odd sheep in the flock; he was a Sands
after Daniel's own heart. So Grant and his father sat together mourning
in silence. Finally the father drew in a deep broken breath, and spoke
with his eyes on the ground:

"'These also died in the faith, without having received the promise!'"
Then he lifted up his face and mourned, "Mary--Mary--" and again, "Oh,
Mary, we need--" The child's voice inside the house calling fretfully,
"Mother! mother!" came to the two and brought a quick cramp to the older
man's throat and tears to his eyes. Finally, Amos found voice to say:

"I was thinking how we--you and I and Jasper need mother! But our need
is as nothing compared with the baby's. Poor--lonely little thing! I
don't know what to do for him, Grant." He turned to his son helplessly.

Again the little voice was lifted, and Laura Nesbit could be heard
hushing the child's complaint. Not looking at his father, Grant spoke:
"Dr. Nesbit said he had let Margaret know--"

The father shook his head and returned, "I presumed he would!" He looked
into his son's face and said: "Maggie doesn't see things as we do, son.
But, oh--what can we do! And the little fellow needs her--needs some
one, who will love hi