into the room, and as you walked towards me,it grew lighter and lighter, till I could see you just as well as ever,—nothing else in the room only just you. You looked exactly the way you did the last afternoon before I went to Boston. You remember how you went down to see me, don’t you? Well, you had on the same dress and hat and everything you wore then, and you stood looking down at me, kind of laughing. And then you said ‘Come,’ and put out your hand to help me up. I stood up and felt so much better. I kept looking at you, because that was all I could see, and it seemed so good to see you again. Then you took my hand and led me out into the street, and along ever so far, to a strange place; and then, all at once, I could see again just the way I used to. But just as I was holding on to you, and looking at the trees and houses and people, I waked up, and it was only a dream.”
“Only a dream!” said Bess regretfully. “How I wish it were all true!”
“But it was just like seeing you once more,” answered Fred, as he slowly drew his chair to the fire; “and I feel just as if I had seen you
