needs of Bible students at
Chautauqua had demanded, and therefore much better fitted for actual
service than the velvet.

Among the many passers-by came Mrs. Smythe. She halted before Flossy.

"Good-evening. I thought your party must have left. I haven't seen you
since Thursday. Haven't you been fearfully bored? We are going to leave
on Monday morning--going to Saratoga. Don't some of you want to join us?

"I don't know," Flossy said, thoughtfully mindful of Ruth and her plan
that had not worked. "It is possible that Miss Erskine may Do your
entire party go?"

"Oh, not my nephew, of course! Nothing could tear him away. He is
perfectly charmed with all this singing and praying and preaching, but I
confess it is too much of a good thing for me. I am not intellectually
inclined, I like the music very well, and some of the addresses are
fine; but there is such a thing as carrying meetings to excess."

At this point she turned quickly at the sound of a firm step behind her,
and greeted a young man.

"Speak of angels and you hear their wings, or the squeak of their
boots," she said. "We were just talking about you, Evan. My nephew, Mr.
Roberts, Miss Shipley. I believe you have never met before."

Had they not! There was a heightened flush on the cheek of each as they
shook hands. It was clear that each recognized the other.

"Are we strangers?" he asked, with a bright smile, speaking so low that
Mrs. Smythe, whose attention had already wandered from them to a group
who were passing, did not hear the words, "On the contrary, I think we
are related, though I do not know that we have happened to hear each
other's names before."

Flossy understood the relationship--sons and daughters of one
Father--for she knew this was the young man who had twice questioned her
concerning her allegiance to that Father. Also, she remembered him as
the only one whom she had ever heard pray for her.

Mrs. Smythe called out a gay good-evening to them, and joined a party of
friends, and Mr. Roberts leaned against a tree and prepared to cultivate
the acquaintance of his newly-found relative.

"You have one of those large, sensible-looking Bibles, I see," he said.
"I have been very much tempted, but I could not make myself feel that I
really needed one."

"I really needed mine," Flossy said, smiling. "I left my Bible at home.
I had not such a thought as bringing it along. I feel now as if I had a
treasure that I didn't know how to use. I