"Billy's been crying," she said, in an awed tone. "Why, Billy, why?" she asked, stealing softly to his side. Then, as the little boy's only answer was a suppressed sob, she cried, "I know! You haven't found your mother yet!"
"Oh, May, you don't understand!!" Billy exclaimed, with a wail of grief in his voice. "Mother's dead!"
"Dead?" May echoed, a faintly troubled look disturbing the usual sweet serenity of her face. "But I thought Granny said she was lost?"
"That's often said of folks who are dead," explained Mrs. Brown.
"But it isn't true, Granny," May said gravely. "If people are good and love Jesus they go to Jesus for always when they die, don't they?"
"Oh, yes," agreed Billy. "I know my mother's safe with Jesus, May."
"Then," said May, triumphantly, the faintly troubled expression passing from her face, "she can't be lost!"
At that minute Harold came in, looking flushed and heated. Mrs. Brown immediately accused him of having been teasing Jenny. He did not admit it, only laughed, and hastened to tell her that he and May had come to take Billy to church with them.
"Yes, he shall go," Mrs. Brown decided. "Hurry and wash your hands and brush your hair, Billy."
The Vicar of Ashleigh always held a children's service in the church on Sunday afternoons. This afternoon the service had commenced before the Dingle children and Billy got there. They slipped noiselessly into a back seat and joined in the hymn which was being sung. After the hymn the Vicar—an old man with a kind, gentle face—gave an address, and then moved about the church, questioning the children. More than once Billy saw his eyes fixed on him with sympathy and interest.