The voice died away. Helena, with head still buried, waited for Mrs. Thornton to speak again. It seemed she waited for a great length of time--and yet there was no such thing as time. It seemed as though she were transported to a place of great and intense blackness where it was miserably cold and chill, and she stood alone and lost, and strove to find her way--and there was no way--only blackness everywhere, immeasurable. She lifted her head suddenly, desperately, to shake the unreality from her--and her eyes fell upon the gentle face, peaceful, smiling, calm, and so _still_--and a startled, frightened cry rang from her lips. There was the quick, hurried rush of some one coming into the room, and the nurse brushed by her and bent instantly over the bed--after that, quite soon after that it seemed, and yet it might have been quite a little while, she found herself outside in the corridor and the nurse was speaking to her. "Sam is still out there," said Miss Harvey gently. "I told him to keep the team. You cannot help me, and I want you to go home, dear. And will you ask Sam to go for Mr. Madison at the hotel on the way back--I do not know who else I can call upon for advice." "I've sent for him already," said Helena numbly. "Have you, dear?" Miss Harvey said. "That was very thoughtful of you--I'm sure he'll be here presently then. And now, dear, it is much better that you should go." There were no tears in Helena's eyes as she stepped down from the car vestibule to the tracks--only a drawn misery in her face. That was Doc over there, pacing up and down on the platform in the darkness--wasn't it weird the way his cigar glowed bright and then went out and then glowed bright again--like a gigantic firefly! She was across the tracks before he saw her, then, hurrying forward, he helped her to the platform. "Well?" he asked quickly. Helena did not answer. Madison took the cigar from his lips, leaned forward, and peered into Helena's face--then drew back with a low whistle. "Dead?" he said. Helena nodded. "Miss Harvey wants to see you," she said. "Say," said Madison slowly, "first crack out of the box this looks bad, don't it? If this gets around here without a muffler on it, it might make the railroad companies hang fire with those circulars for excursion rates to Needley--what?" "I--I think I hate you!" Helena cried out suddenly, passionately. "She's--she's dead--and that's all you think about!" Madison stared at Helena for a moment calmly. "Now, look here, Helena," said he quietly, "don't get excited. Of course I'm sorry--I'm not a brute and I've got feelings--but I can't afford to lose my head. Something's got to be done, and done quick. We don't want this headlined in every paper in the United States to-morrow morning--Thornton wouldn't want it either. You say Miss Harvey wants to see me? Well, that'll help some--she'll probably do as she's told, and--"