"No," said Mrs. O'Neil; "they'll eat dinner just as calm as they've eaten all their other dinners."
"Come, Lassie," said Alva; "that reminds me that we must get ready for dinner, ourselves."
"Do you want to take the paper up-stairs with you?" Mrs. O'Neil asked; "right after dinner I want to take it up to Mrs. Ray, but you can keep it till then if you like."
"No, thank you," said Alva, with her strange, white smile; "I read it all through."
When they were up-stairs Lassie exclaimed:
"There, now you see—"
But her friend stopped her with a gesture. "It's too terrible to talk about," she said, simply. "I must think earnestly what ought to come next."
Lassie became silent.