"No one else is going to take care of you, gran'mom," promised Katy. "No one can travel so fast and talk so much." She leaned over and laid her hand on her grandmother's cheek. "I am going to stay with you to-night and to-morrow night and always. I am never going to leave you. I care for schooling, but I care more for you. You raised me from little when I had no father and mother to take care of me. I will remember what you said about gran'pop, and I will try to be like him. _Do you understand me?_" besought Katy in a sudden agony of fright. The brown eyes answered, or Katy thought they answered. "Well, then," said Katy. "Now I will read you a chapter and then you will go to sleep." CHAPTER XI KATY FINDS A NEW AIM IN LIFE IT was on Tuesday evening that Grandmother Gaumer was smitten and Alvin Koehler whistled in the garden. On Wednesday Millerstown flocked to the Gaumer house with inquiries and gifts. They all saw Grandmother Gaumer, according to Millerstown's custom in sickness, then they went down to the kitchen to hear from Bevy an account of this amazing seizure. Sarah Ann Mohr, who was one of grandmother's oldest friends, brought fresh pie and many tears. Susannah Kuhns promised fresh bread in the afternoon, and Sarah Knerr carried off the washing. Then Sarah Ann, accustomed to hear with admiration and wonder the problems which Katy put to a puzzled Mr. Carpenter, and expecting, with the rest of the community, that she would bring extraordinary honor to Millerstown, asked Bevy Schnepp a question. "My mom was taken that a way," she explained, tearfully. "For seven years she laid and didn't speak and toward the end she hadn't her mind any more. Who will take care of gran'mom? Will Edwin and Sally move home or will they get some one from outside?" Bevy stood beside the sink, her arms akimbo. "Gran'mom isn't sure to lie seven years," said she. Bevy had in her possession the seventh book of Moses, which contained many powerful prescriptions; she meant to see what pow-wowing could do before she despaired of Grandmother Gaumer. "But if she does lay, Edwin won't come home and they won't get anybody from outside. It was never yet a Gaumer what had to be taken care of by one from outside. Katy will take care of her gran'mom." "Katy will take care of her gran'mom!" repeated Sarah Ann. "But she won't be well till [by] September! How will Katy then be educated? Carpenter has learned her everything he knows in this world. I could easy hear that!" "Katy does not think of education," answered Bevy. "She thinks of nothing but her gran'mom. She is with her night and day." Solemnly Sarah Ann and Bevy regarded one another. Then solemnly they nodded.