"May I say one thing more, Miss Bess?"
"What is it, Fred?"
"I'd like to go for a little walk to-morrow; and may the boys come up again next week?"
At breakfast the next morning, both Fred and Bess looked rather the worse for their vigil; but, except for an increased gentleness on Fred's part, and a little more careful attention on Bessie's, there was nothing to show what had occurred, and the secret of their long talk remained all their own. As they went to their lessons, Fred said,—
"I had such a good dream last night."
"What was it?" inquired Bess, as she opened the history they were reading.
"It was after our talk, you know," Fred answered slowly, as if trying to bring it back again. "I was at home once more, lying on the sofa crying, for everything went wrong, and I was all alone. All of a sudden you came into the room, and as you walked towards me, it grew lighter and lighter, till I could see you just as well as ever,—nothing else in the room, only just you. You looked exactly the way you did the last afternoon before I went to Boston. You remember how you went down to see me, don't you? Well, you had on the same dress and hat and everything you wore then, and you stood looking down at me, kind of laughing. And then you said 'Come,' and put out your hand to help me up. I stood up and felt so much better. I kept looking at you, because that was all I could see, and it seemed so good to see you again. Then you took my hand and led me out into the street, and along ever so far, to a strange place; and then, all at once, I could see again just the way I used to. But just as I was holding on to you, and looking at the trees and houses and people, I waked up, and it was only a dream."
"Only a dream!" said Bess regretfully. "How I wish it were all true!"
"But it was just like seeing you once more," answered Fred, as he slowly drew his chair to the fire; "and I feel just as if I had seen you yesterday." Then, as he settled himself comfortably, he added, with a flash of fun that reminded Bess of the old Fred,—
"Well, I s'pose if I were as well as I used to be, I shouldn't be here now. That's one good thing!"