“Emily!” he said, and putting both arms around my neck, drew my head down to his pillow, and whispered: 

“Don’t cry—­I’ll go home with you—­all right, the end will be all right.”  Fearing for his strength, I said softly: 

“Don’t talk, you’re too weak, Hal; lie still for a little while and shut your eyes.”  I raised my head and put my hand on his forehead, and soon he was asleep.  Then in a low, kind tone the doctor told us the crisis was past, and now we must wait for the changes, which were one by one to fall on him.  Hal’s employer urged me to go to his house, and let Louis remain with Halbert, and at last it was arranged that at night I should sleep there, and Louis stay with Hal.  Several hours would elapse, however, before night, and during this time Dr. Selden, Louis and I would stay with Hal.

I had time during his long sleep to think of something to be done for him, and realized, as I recovered from the first shock his situation gave to my nerves, the importance of a different room, better ventilation, etc., and when Dr. Selden motioned to Louis to take his seat near Hal’s head, where he could lay his hand upon him when he woke, I whispered to him my thoughts.  His answer, though somewhat comforting, bade me wait until he could decide what was best.  He took my hand in his and called me “little girl,”—­just think of it, I was five feet six inches high, my face looked every day of forty that minute,—­told me I was too tired to plan, and he would attend to it all, adding, at the close of his dear good talk: 

“His artist soul has nearly used up his physical strength.  I feel there has been great pressure on the nerves.  If so there must be, according to the course of nature, rapid changes up to a certain point, and then there will be a thorough change slowly wrought out.  Do not doubt my skill, ‘little girl,’ he will come out all right; you and I have a sure hold on his heart-strings.”

I could hardly wait to ask the question, “What do you mean by his artist soul? what is he doing? and the doctor’s eyes were looking in wonder at me, and his lips parting with a word, when Hal’s voice startled us with: 

“Emily, who is this?” and we turned to see him looking at Louis, whose hand was on his head.

I answered, “The dear friend Hal who brought me here.”

“What a beautiful hand he has.  Oh! how it rests my tired, tired brain,” he said.  “Water, Emily, sister, a little water.”

Dr. Selden gave him a glass, saying, “Drink all you like.”

“I am faint,” said Hal.

“Take this, my good fellow,” and the doctor held a glass of cordial to his lips.