She was more disappointed than she cared to confess, even to herself, that the boy seemed to be quite indifferent to the steadily deepening interest in spiritual things that marked the members of her Bible class.
While she was planning how to reach him once more, an event occurred which brought him nearer to her than he had ever been before.

As they were sitting one evening at tea, the door unexpectedly opened, and without announcement, in walked Ranald, splashed with hard riding, pale, and dazed.

Without a word of reply to the greetings that met him from all at the table, he went straight to the minister's wife, handed her an opened letter, and stood waiting.

It was addressed to Ranald himself, and was the first he had ever received in his life.

It was from Yankee Jim, and read as follows: Dear Ranald--The Boss aint feelin like ritin much and the rest of the boys is all broke up, and so he told me to rite to you and to tell you some purty bad news.