“Yes, in the Father’s house there are many mansions,” replied the Brother Man.  Then as Mr. and Mrs. Strong sat there in the gathering gloom the old man said suddenly, “Let us pray together about it.”

He kneeled down and offered the most remarkable prayer that they had ever heard.  It seemed to them that, however the old man’s mind might be affected, the part of him that touched God in the communion of audible prayer was absolutely free from any weakness or disease.  It was a prayer that laid its healing balm on the soul of Philip and soothed his trouble into peace.  When the old man finished, Philip felt almost cheerful again.  He went out and helped his wife a few minutes in some work about the kitchen.  And after supper he was just getting ready to go out to inquire after a sick family near by, when there was a knock at the door.

It was a messenger boy with a telegram.  Philip opened it almost mechanically and carrying it to the light read: 

“Alfred died at four P. M. Can you come?”

For a second he did not realize the news.  Then as it rushed upon him he staggered and would have fallen if the table had not been so close.  A faintness and a pain seized him and for a minute he thought he was falling.  Then he pulled himself together and called his wife, who was in the kitchen.  She came in at once, noticing the peculiar tone of his voice.

“Alfred is dead!” He was saying the words quietly as he held out the telegram.

“Dead!  And you left him getting better!  How dreadful!”

“Do you think so?  He is at rest.  I must go up there at once; they expect me.”  He still spoke quietly, stilling the tumult of his heart’s anguish for his wife’s sake.  This man, his old college chum, was very dear to him.  The news was terrible to him.

Nevertheless, he made his preparations to go back to his friend’s home.  It is what either would have done in the event of the other’s death.  And so he was gone from Milton until after the funeral, and did not return until Saturday.  In those three days of absence Milton was stirred by events that grew out of the action of the church.

CHAPTER XXIV.

In the first place the minority in the church held a meeting and voted to ask Philip to remain, pledging him their hearty support in all his plans and methods.  The evening paper, in its report of this meeting, made the most of the personal remarks that were made, and served up the whole affair in sensational items that were eagerly read by every one in Milton.