Now for the great exciting subject of the present time.  I will give it in detail, as women like to have stories told.

The little wife, our Alice, came running into Kate’s parlor one day, while we were both sitting there reading.  She was in extreme excitement.  We heard her laughing, just outside the door, in the most joyous manner; but she pulled a long face as she entered.  She sank down upon the floor by my couch, so as to be on a level with me, took my hand and Kate’s, and then, taking breath, said: 

“Listen, Kate, and don’t be agitated.”

Kate was, of course, extremely agitated at once.  She divined the subject about to be introduced, and her heart beat tumultuously.

“You remember I nearly betrayed Walter’s secret once?  Well, I am going to tell it to you now, really.”

“He gave you leave, then!” said Kate, almost breathless.

“Yes, yes!  This is it——­Now, Kate, if you look so pale, I can’t go on!”

I motioned to her to proceed at once.

“Well, he had some engineering to do in Russia, you know.  They wanted to get him to undertake another job,—­I don’t know, nor care, what it was,—­and he went out to see about it.  For Charlie’s sake, you let him go away almost in despair, you cruel girl!  Well, when I was visiting you, he made a little spy of me.  I was not to spy you, Kate, but Charlie here, and let Walter know of the slightest change for the better in him.  Then he was to get some one to attend to his Russian work, and post right straight home to you, Kate!  Well, my aunt wouldn’t let me stay with you,—­cross old thing!  And she kept me so very close, that I couldn’t watch Charlie at all.  Then she went and threatened me with a long engagement with Harry, only to give me time to get heaps and heaps of sewing done!  I knew the only chance I could get of gaining information for Walter was just to run off to you with Hal, and cut a long matter short.  Well, so I came, and I wrote to Walter, the very night I arrived, that the doctor said, Charlie, that you would be quite well in a month or two!  That was a month ago.  But Walter had not waited for me.  Perhaps he had other spies.  At any rate”——­

She paused.

“What? what?  Be quick!” cried I, seeing that Kate was almost fainting from this suspense.

“He has come!”

Kate pressed her hand over the joyful cry that burst from her lips, and, turning away from us, sprang up, and walked to the window.  There was a moment of perfect silence.  Kate put her hand behind her, and motioned to the door.  Alice went softly out and closed it.  I could not rise, poor cripple, from intense agitation.

My sister drew one long, quivering, sobbing breath,—­and then she had a good cry, as women say.  It seemed to me enough to give one a headache for a week, but it refreshed her.  After bathing her eyes with some iced water, she came and leaned over me.

“Thank God, Kate,” I said, “for your sake and mine!”