When they reached the front steps she seated herself on the top one
and slowly lowered the drowsy little chap, until his head rested on
her breast and her arms held him cradlewise. She began a low husky
humming as she rocked herself to and fro, watching breathlessly the
fringed lashes sink over his wearied eyes, until they lay like
shadows on the purple circles beneath. She was utterly absorbed in
getting Teether into a comatose condition, and had neither eyes nor
ears for the Doctor; not that he claimed either.

He sat for some moments watching her and listening breathlessly to
the low music that came out through the wonderful throat, as if from
some master instrument with strings uncouthly muted. And as he
looked, the horrible thought clutched at his own heart. Suppose he
should not be able to free her voice for her! Many others had tried-
-the greatest--and they had all been baffled by the strange
stiffness of the chords. He knew himself to be, in a way, her last
resort. A world of music lovers awaited the result. He had been
obliged to send out two Press bulletins as to her condition within
the week--and she sat on the steps in the twilight humming Teether
Pike to sleep, shut in by the Harpeth Hills with only him to fight
her fight for her. He almost groaned aloud with the pain of it, when
into his consciousness came Mother Mayberry's placid voice shooing
the Pike children home with promises and admonitions. A line from
Doctor Stein's letter flashed into his mind: "And first and above
all I want your mother to put heart and hope into the girl." The
fight was not his alone, thank God, and he knew just how much he
could trust to his mother's heart-building. Why not? Over the land
men were learning to strengthen the man within before attempting to
cure the man without. Hadn't that always been his mother's
unconscious policy out on Harpeth Hills? A deep calm fell into his