"Kiss me--Tom, won't you ?" she gasped.
He stooped and kissed her.

She lifted her hand to touch his cheek, but it fell back helpless.

"Hark," she gasped--"the knocking! I--am coming--" then with one long deep sigh, her voice was still for ever.
A few moments later, Tom Smith stumbled down the stairs, and out into the darkness and away, never to be seen by Huldah again.

She knew and realised nothing then, but that her Aunt Emma was dead, that all her dreams had ended, all her plans for the future were fruitless, that their living together was ended, her home broken up once more.
"She's had such a hard life!" she sobbed.

"And I thought I was going to make her so happy when she got about a bit again." "But she never would have got about again, dear.