ceased. And he would try to find a voice
and would fail, because silence would have
come again. And then the light would go
out --"

The shudder that crept over her made
me stop, ashamed of myself.

"You talk like father," she said, with a
long-drawn breath. Then she looked up
suddenly at the sun shining through a rift
in those reckless gray clouds, and put out
one hand as if to get it full of the headlong
rollicking breeze. "But the earth is not
dying," she cried. "It is well and strong,
and it likes to go round and round among
all the other worlds. It likes the sun and
moon; they are all good friends; and it
likes the people who live on it. Maybe it
is they instead of the fire within who keep
it warm; or maybe it is warm just from
always going, as we are when we run. We
are young, you and I, Mr. Grant, and Leroy,
and your beautiful sister, and the world is
young too!" Then she laughed a strong
splendid laugh, which had never had the
joy taken out of it with drawing-room re-
strictions; and I laughed too, and felt that
we had become very good companions
indeed, and found myself warming to the