Gentle hands carried Magdalene's wasted form over the Judean hills, camping for the night near Bethel. She, being troubled for breath, chose to rest on a litter beneath a wide, spreading olive tree rather than accept the hospitality of the large tent Joseph had sent for them.

After the usual nursing, and she had been bolstered up with huge cushions, she was able to talk, and again became buoyant.

Nicodemus, Mary and John each volunteered to sit by her side, but she chose John, saying: "Aunt Mary, you must rest or we shall be compelled to procure an ambulance for you; and you, Nicodemus, look as pale as a ghost; you go and get a little rest also, for tomorrow will be an eventful day. As for you, John, I want you to prop yourself up and hold my hands all night, then I will think we are children again."

After an hour's rest she opened wide her large, hazel eyes and laughingly said, "Tell me, John, exactly what you were thinking about."

John hesitated.

"Spit it out, John; if it's funny all the better, for all the sadness about this scene is that you must stay to fight the world after I have gone home."

"Well, Lena, I was thinking about the first time we met."

"Yes, John, so was I, we were twelve years old; I know exactly what you want to tell; it's about my refusal before your proposal; now go ahead."

"You remember," began John seriously, "that we first met at the yearly fish-fry which was always on the south shore of Galilee. Oh, Magdalene, you tell it; I cannot."

"Go right on," she said, her eyes sparkling with delight.

"Well, your aunt and my mother were great friends, you know, and that was what brought us young ones together while eating our fish. I can see you just as you was then; you had on a new wine-colored gown, silk stockings, tiny sandals and your hair was loose over your shoulders. You remember, mother fixed me up smart; being tall, I really looked more than I was, so we made it up to sly away from the common young hopefuls and go strolling down the river, where, after while, we sat down on the bank to watch the little fish who live in shore, and you began—"

"No, you began—"

"No, you began, Lena."

"Well, have it your way, John; go on."

"You, Lena, began to talk about—you see, I did not know you then as I do now."

"Go right on, John, or I shall have a kaniption."

"Yes, you began to talk about people getting married young, very young, and sometimes, when there were objections, people ran away together. Then we told our ages, and it turned out that you were one day older than I, when you sprang to your feet and said: 'There, John, the jig is up, for I positively will not marry a man younger than myself!'"

"And you began to cry."

"No, Lena, I did not."

"What did you do?"

"Oh, not much."

"Much; you dared me to—"

"No, you dared me."

"No, you dared me, John."

"Now, Lena, you dared me to kiss you and I did."

"Then I suppose you went right home and told your mother."

"Told mother; I should say not. You made me promise never to tell. Why, Lena, are you in pain?"

"Only my heart, John—Oh, if Ruth was here."

The frail creature half closed her eyes, her lips parted, and John thought she was going, but when he called Nicodemus she opened them again and smiled and told Nicodemus to go to his rest.

After a few moments she seemed to come back again and said, "Oh, John, is Heaven really so near?" Then she seemed to become a child again, and said, "Tell me something inspiring; it rests me. Do not weep, John; you promised to be brave; now go on and tell me about Pipe and his dog. Tell it just as though you were telling it to someone else and I was not listening."

John hesitated, wiped away the tears, kissed her cold cheek and when she insisted, began, "Mary Magdalene came over from Nazareth when she was twelve years old, and by the time she was fifteen she had become the most notorious maid that graced the west shore of Galilee. She had staunch friends, who would go through fire and water to protect her—"

"And you were one?"

"Certainly I was, for she was pretty, neat, witty and wonderful in a case of emergency. She made some enemies; for while nothing was too good for those she loved, so there was no letup on her dislikes."

"Why did so many hate her, John?"

"Oh, she was well dressed and attractive, which was more than her female companions could stand; and then, while she was upright and generous, she was reserved and often imprudent, to that extent that when irritated she bridled not her tongue."

"Not even for you?"

"Oh, I was an exception."

"So you were, John; go on."

"Old Pipe the potter had, besides a large family of children, a white pet dog, and for a joke this maid from Nazareth formed a compact with one John, the brother of James—"

"Where is that John now?"

"Keep quiet, Lena, or you will get me to weeping again and spoil the story. She and John caught the dog and hid him in the cellar of John's home, and a day or so after Magdalene started a rumor that she had seen something white floating in the lake, south of Tiberias, which looked like that dog. Old Pipe at once accused her of stealing and drowning his dog, but after an all day, fruitless search, she and John loosed the dog and sent him home. Somehow the joke got out, and old Pipe rent his garments and swore vengeance on the Sidehill Whirlwind. On the street, one day, he began to upbraid her, when she turned upon him with something she had heard her Aunt Susie tell about his family affairs which closed him up like a clam—had you not better rest again, Lena?"

"No, John, go on; I'm in no pain, only those spells of suffocation. I want you to tell this so you will remember I love you when I am gone."

Nicodemus now appeared with his cup, which revived her, and John continued, "When our Fall Gaily Day came on all the country around flocked to the Lake to see the fun; Jesus, James and Ruth came over from Nazareth."

"Yes, I remember; they stayed with Aunty and me, and Ruth stayed a week or more."

"Well, there were all kinds of sports and games, foot and horse racing, singing, dancing, etc., and then such a dinner as we had.

"Everybody wanted to see Magdalene run, and the best that could be done was to match the Sidehill Whirlwind with one of the Mur girls, a fleety family who lived on the hills in Safed. The Whirlwind gave the Mur girl twenty paces the start in a two hundred pace race, but she told her aunt and John's mother she feared Miss Mur had too great an advantage for her to ever overtake her.

"When the race was called and the word given, John remembers just how Lena looked, with her head thrown back, coming down the line just like a shooting star, when old Zerna, the fig peddler, attempted to cross the way and Magdalene's knee collided with the side of her head. The old woman spun around and around like a top as Magdalene fell on her hands and knees, but recovered in time to win."

"Did she win fair?"

"Oh, I guess it was about a draw, for the timekeeper told John's father the next day that he rather favored the Whirlwind because the old fig woman got in her way.

"When the boat race was coming off the men gathered south along the shore to get a better view of the maneuvers, while the women and children stood on the landings at Capernaum. John, Mary Magdalene and several other young folks had climbed to the roof of a house when they heard the cry that old Pipe's child had fallen into the water and was drowning. A cry went up for a fisherman to save the child, but all the men were down toward Tiberias.

"When our group from the housetop arrived we could see the little boy's white garments at the bottom, under two fathoms of water. Instantly, Mary Magdalene plunged down head foremost and brought the little one up in her arms, and as no one could reach it she somehow held it out of the water and swam to the little sand beach just south of Capernaum. Old Pipe arrived on the scene just as she was wading ashore with the child and, falling on his knees, began imploring her to forgive him for all he had injured her, but instead she handed him the struggling child as she indignantly said: 'Take your little brat, it is not to blame for having a contemptible father.'

"After a change to dry clothes the naughty maid hunted up old Pipe and forgave him all, so that was how they became fast friends, and she, of course, became the heroine of the day."

Thus, the last night of her life, Magdalene listened to reminiscences of naughty pranks and sweet affections of childhood's sunny hours.