"Count on me to do as you would in the same circumstances. Will reopen for business at once. Duplicate in New York your purchases of a few weeks ago. Refer to —— Bank, in which I have a large deposit. Then hurry home.
"Philip."
Apparently Philip read and re-read the despatch, for he kept his eyes upon the paper a long time. When finally he looked from it he saw his wife's countenance very pale and strained. He sprang toward her, and exclaimed:—
"My dear girl, you are sacrificing yourself!"
"Oh, no, I am not," Grace whispered.
"Then why are you trembling so violently?—why do you look like a person in the agony of death?"
"Because—because I fear that I am trying to sacrifice you—dooming you for life. The despatch shan't go, for you don't like it. Yet I wrote only what I thought was right. All that you inherited from your uncle was earned here, from the people who have suffered by the cyclone, or must suffer from the troubles that will follow it. 'Twould be heartless—really dishonest—to leave them, wouldn't it? Besides, many of them like us very much, and have learned to look up to us, after a fashion. Perhaps I wrote too hastily; it may not be practicable, but—"
"Trying, at least, will be practicable," said Philip, after a mighty effort against himself. "'When in Rome, do as the Romans do;' when with an angel, follow the angel's lead. I'll hire some one at once to take the despatch to the wire, and then—why, then I'll wonder where to reopen for business until the store can be rebuilt."
"Why won't the warehouse answer? And why don't you go at once to the city?—'tis only a trip of three or four hours, buy a small assortment of groceries and other things most likely to be called for at once, and order a larger stock, by wire, from Chicago? Caleb's purchases will follow quickly. While you're away I'll manage to get the warehouse into some resemblance to a store ready for goods; some men can surely be hired, and I'll get Mr. Truett to help devise such makeshifts as are necessary. You can be back by to-morrow night, if you start at once."
"Upon my word, dear girl, you talk like a business veteran from a cyclone country. If woman's intuitions can yield such business telegrams and plans as you've disclosed within ten minutes, I think it is time for men to go into retirement."