“Very respectfully yours, John F. Howard.”

As she finished reading this letter Katherine looked into the eyes of her teacher and smiled.

“Kathie, I can hardly believe it!” said Miss Reynolds, in a voice choked with tears.

“‘The measure that ye mete shall be measured to you again,’ you know,” softly returned her companion, “and love begets love.  You, long since, threw the mantle of Love over your ‘brother,’ and Truth has uncovered and destroyed the error—­in other words, the greed—­that seemed to rob you of what was justly yours.”

“It makes me very humble,” faltered her teacher.  “I have tried to love because, to be loyal to Truth, I must do nothing else.”

“Yes, and so Love has fulfilled the law; and, as our text-book says, ‘Mercy cancels the debt only when justice approves.’” [Footnote:  “Science and Health,” page 22]

“And Katharine”—­and Miss Reynolds’ face glowed with happiness—­ “now the way is opened for me to do what I had decided I must do by the end of this year—­’go work in His vineyard.’  I did not clearly see how I could do it, but I have tried to know that ’God is the source of all supply, and I left it there.’”

CHAPTER XXIV.

The end of school days.

Time seemed to fly after Mrs. Minturn’s visit.  Winter melted into spring, spring budded and blossomed into summer, and June, with its examinations, commencement exercises and formalities, was once more close upon the students at Hilton.

Mr. and Mrs. Minturn came on from New York to be present at Katherine’s graduation, after which the family, Jennie included, were going directly to their summer home at Manchester.

Prof.  Seabrook had again been fortunate enough to secure the Hunt cottage for the season, for the owners were going abroad for a year and were only too glad to rent it to such desirable tenants.

Sadie was going with her guardian and his family to Newport for the summer, but had promised Katherine a fortnight’s visit during the latter half of July.

The two girls had grown closer and closer to each other, and they now found themselves very loath to separate, to dismantle their pretty room and pack their trunks, for their final flitting from Hilton, their well-beloved alma mater.  Their prospective departure was also generally regretted by both teachers and pupils, who were to remain, for each had won a stronghold in all hearts.

There had been a great change in Sadie, but it had only served to make her more attractive, and she had kept her word to “do her best” work during her last year, for she now stood second in her class, and thus had won the respect of her principal as well as of her teachers, while her happy temperament and the almost prodigal expenditure of her ample income to give pleasure to others had made her many firm friends among the students.