room a strong comforting man, seeming as perfectly at home as if always
here. Then the thought of the artist came back to me and I leaned
forward to ask Dr. Selden what it all meant.

"Why, little girl, your brother is a sculptor born. He has sat up nights
working hard to accomplish his work, and has succeeded too well in his
art, for unconsciously he has worn his nervous power threadbare. You
will see one of his little pieces in Mr. Hanson's library when you go
down there. He has a friend here who--Ah!" said the doctor, turning at
that very moment toward the slowly-opening door and grasping the hand of
a tall stately man with dreamy eyes, who seemed to be looking the
question, "May I come in."

"Yes, yes; come in, professor," whispered the doctor, and he introduced
me to Hal's teacher and friend, Wilmur Benton. Then offered him the only
remaining chair.

The professor seated himself quietly, and raising his dreamy brown eyes
said, "Will he live?"

The doctor smiled and bowed a positive "yes" as he said:

"The crisis is past, care and patience now."

At this moment Hal awoke, and this time more naturally than before. He
was quiet, looked upon us all with the clear light of reason in his
eyes, and would have talked if it had been allowed. He wanted us all
close to him, and smiled as he held tightly Louis' hand in one of his,
and with the other grasped that of Professor Benton, to lay both
together in a silent introduction. I think Hal felt that Louis had saved