“You shan’t die now, gran’ther. I’ll nurse you back to health!” Eva sobbed, winding her fond arms about him to keep at bay the grim destroyer that never drew back from such weak defense. “Eva, would you mind taking Firefly and cantering over to Lawyer Gilmer’s for me? Tell him to come with you right away. I want to change my will before to-morrow.” “Oh, gran’ther, I wouldn’t leave you alone; no, no! Wait till they come back, and I’ll send the chore boy for the lawyer. Now, perhaps, I have talked to you too much. I’ll dim the light and sit by you while you sleep, as I used to, dear; don’t you remember?” She kissed him and he closed his eyes gently and fell into a waking doze. With her little hand locked in his chilly fingers, Eva leaned her golden head against his pillow, napping gently, too, trying to gain strength for the ordeal of her cousins’ return. She had an idea that they would not welcome her with open arms, like her grandfather. Instead, they were sure to be very angry. But she was determined not to be angry with them--to be on good terms, if possible, with all, for the sake of poor gran’ther’s happiness. She thanked God dumbly that she had been taken back into the old home with love and rejoicing. She begged him to spare gran’ther many years to enjoy his new-found prosperity. Then she dozed gently and started broad awake presently because the old man was wandering in his mind and talking deliriously. He had been thus several nights, but no one knew it. His nurses were very careless. As he said, so bitterly, they did not care how soon he died. He was back in his old soldiering days, on the march, in the camp, and before the enemy. Little Eva heard his voice ring out in stern command to the company he had commanded under the Stars and Stripes, then sink in pity, as he asked that the wounded be carried to the rear. She was terrified as he half rose in bed, with glaring eyes, brandishing his arm as though it held a sword. “Lie down, gran’ther; lie down, that’s a dear! You are having bad dreams!” she cried, pushing him down under the covers again. “Is that you, little Eva? Go home to your mother, child! The battle is raging and you will get hurt! That was all a lie of Ludington’s! I never got him arrested as a spy. How could I harm my old neighbor? I was slandered by them all, the traitors, because I fought for my country’s good! Hark! the enemy! they are retreating!” He rose wildly in bed again. “Follow, my men, follow!” Eva burst into loud, frightened sobs that dimly arrested his attention. He muttered: “There’s a woman weeping because her man is dead. Poor soul--died for his country! How many of us came back from that grand charge? Yes, we shall know at roll call.” Eva flew to the window and pushed it up, leaning forward to scan the moonlighted road with frantic eyes. “Oh, if some one should be passing by that I could call to help me! He is very, very ill! The doctor ought to see him at once!” she moaned.