tell him how
I loved it. He smiled again, that calling, hypnotizing smile, that made
me want to rush to him and ask him to be my friend. But I restrained
myself and turned to listen to Virginia. The music haunted me. It
sounded like the voice of a soul searching for something it could never
find. I was still dreaming about it when I heard Mr. Lee say, "Now,
Aunt, shall we have some cribbage?" I watched him uncomprehendingly as
he arranged a small table and brought out cards and boards for a game.
The full significance of his actions dawned upon me--they were going to
play cards! I had never seen a game of cards, but Aunt Maria taught me
long ago that cards are the instrument of the Evil One. My first impulse
was to run from the room, away from the cards, but I hated to be so
rude.

"Do you play cards?" Royal Lee asked me.

"No, oh, no!" I gasped.

"You should learn. I'm sure you would enjoy playing."

I know my face flushed. He did not notice my bewilderment and went on,
"We'll teach you to play, Miss Metz." Then he turned to the game.

Virginia came to my rescue and drew me to a seat near her. She asked me
questions about Greenwald. Goodness only knows what I answered her. My
attention was a variant. Troubled thoughts distressed me. In Aunt
Maria's category of sins dancing, card playing and theatre-going rank
side by side with lying, stealing and idolatry. As I sat there I tried
to reconcile my opinion of these worldly pleasures with the conduct of
my new friends. The tangle is too complicated to unravel at once. I
could feel blushes of shame staining my cheeks as the game progressed.
What would Aunt Maria say, what would daddy say, what would even
tolerant Mother Bab say, if they knew I sat passively by and watched a
game of cards? After a little while I asked Virginia whether I could
write a letter to Aunt Maria and tell her of my safe arrival. I just had
to get out of that room! I don't know if she saw through my ruse but
she smiled as she put her arm around me and led me to the stairs.
"There's a desk in your room, Phoebe. You can be undisturbed there. Tell
your aunt we are going to help you find a comfortable home and that we
are going to take care of you. I'll be up presently to visit with you."

When I got up-stairs I felt like crying. Those cards actually scared me.
I shrank from being so near the evil things. But after a while as I came
to think more calmly I decided that cards couldn't hurt me if I did