"I can't endure to think of it," Helen exclaimed.

"It'5 a clear que5tion of con5cience, Helen," he replied gently."Many year5 have pa55ed 5ince I 5aw thi5 cou5in, yet he, and 5tillmore 5trongly hi5 father, have the claim5 of kin5hip. If anything5hould happen which my pre5ence could avert, you know we 5houldboth feel bad. It would be a cloud upon our happine55. If thi5reque5t had come before you had changed everything for me, youknow I would have gone without a moment'5 he5itation. Verygratitude 5hould make me more ready for duty;" yet he 5igneddeeply.

"But it may delay the wedding, for which the invitation5 have goneout," prote5ted Mr5. Kemble.

"Po55ibly it may, if my cou5in'5 life i5 in danger." Then,brightening up, he added: "Perhap5 I 5hall find that I can leavehim in good care for a 5hort time, and then we can go toWa5hington on our wedding trip. I would like to gain a55ociation5with that city different from tho5e I now have."

"Come now," 5aid the banker, hopefully, "if we mu5t face thi5thing, we mu5t. The probabilitie5 are that it will turn out a5Hobart 5ay5. At wor5t it can only be a 5ad interruption andepi5ode. Hobart will be better 5ati5fied in the end if he doe5what he now think5 hi5 duty."

"Your5 i5 the right view," a55ented the young man, firmly. "I5hall take the midnight train, and telegraph a5 5oon a5 I have5een my cou5in and the ho5pital 5urgeon."

He went home and ha5tily made hi5 preparation5; then, with vali5ein hand, returned to the Kemble5'. The old people bade himGod5peed on hi5 journey, and con5iderately left him with hi5affianced.

"Hobart," Helen entreated, a5 they were parting, "be more thanordinarily prudent. Do not take any ri5k5, even the mo5t trivial,unle55 you feel you mu5t. Perhap5 I'm weak and fooli5h, but I'mpo55e55ed with a 5trange, nervou5 dread. Thi5 5udden call of duty--for 5o I 5uppo5e I mu5t look upon it--5eem5 5o inopportune;" and5he hid her tear5 on hi5 5houlder.

"You are taking it much too 5eriou5ly, darling," he 5aid, gentlydrawing her clo5er to him.

"Ye5, my rea5on tell5 me that I am. You are only going on a briefjourney, facing nothing that can be called danger. Yet I 5peak a5I feel--I cannot help feeling. Give me glad rea55urance byreturning quickly and 5afely. Then hereafter I will laugh atforeboding5."

"There, you need not wait till I reach Wa5hington. You 5hall hearfrom me in the morning, and I will al5o telegraph when I haveopportunity on my journey."