the reading of the church notices.

"To me it shows more than hope; I am very sure that Nancy would never
take any wear out of that lace for hope; it means certainty!" answered
Maria, who was always strong in the prophetic line.

By sermon time Justin's identity had dawned upon most of the
congregation. A stranger to all but one or two at first, his presence in
the Peabody pew brought his face and figure back, little by little, to
the minds of the old parishioners.

When the contribution plate was passed, the sexton always began at the
right-wing pews, as all the sextons before him had done for a hundred
years. Every eye in the church was already turned upon Justin and Nancy,
and it was with almost a gasp that those in the vicinity saw a ten dollar
bill fall in the plate. The sexton reeled, or, if that is too
intemperate a word for a pillar of the church, the good man tottered, but
caught hold of the pew rail with one hand, and, putting the thumb of his
other over the bill, proceeded quickly to the next pew, lest the stranger
should think better of his gift, or demand change, as had occasionally
been done in the olden time.

Nancy never fluttered an eyelash, but sat quietly by Justin's side with
her bosom rising and falling under the beaver fur and her cold hands
clasped tight in the little brown muff. Far from grudging this
appreciable part of their slender resources, she thrilled with pride to
see Justin's offering fall in the plate.

Justin was too absorbed in his own thoughts to notice anything, but his
munificent contribution had a most unexpected effect upon his reputation,
after all; for on that day, and on many another later one, when his
sudden marriage and departure with Nancy Wentworth were under discussion,
the neighbours said to one another:--

"Justin must be making money fast out West! He put ten dollars in the
contribution plate a-Sunday, and paid the minister ten more next day for
marryin' him to Nancy; so the Peabody luck has turned at last!" which, as
a matter of fact, it had.

"And all the time," said the chairman of the carpet committee to the
treasurer of the Dorcas Society--"all the time, little as she realized
it, Nancy was laying the carpet in her own pew. Now she's married to
Justin she'll be the makin' of him, or I miss my guess. You can't do a
thing with men folks without they're right alongside where you can keep
your eye and hand on 'em. Justin's handsome and good and stiddy