hem in the flesh as their own children!

"From what Mr. Ball said,"--Mrs. Ball was gushing affectedly to Anita,--"I
got an idea that--well, really, I didn't know _what_ to think."

Anita looked as if she were about to suffocate. Allie came to the rescue.
"Not very complimentary to Mr. Blacklock, mother," said she good-humoredly.
Then to Anita, with a simple friendliness there was no resisting: "Wouldn't
you like to come up to my room for a few minutes?"

"Oh, thank you!" responded Anita, after a quick, but thorough inspection
of Alva's face, to make sure she was like her voice. I had not counted on
this; I had been assuming that Anita would not be out of my sight until we
were married. It was on the tip of my tongue to interfere when she looked
at me--for permission to go!

"Don't keep her too long," said I to Alva, and they were gone.

"You can't blame me--really you can't, Mr. Blacklock," Mrs. Ball began to
plead for herself, as soon as they were safely out of hearing. "After some
things--mere hints, you understand--for I'm careful what I permit Mr. Ball
to say before _me_. I think married people can not be too respectful of
each other. I _never_ tolerate _vulgarity_."

"No doubt, Joe has made me out a very vulgar person," said I, forgetting
her lack of humor.

"Oh, not at all, not at all, Mr. Blacklock," she protested, in a panic lest
she had done her husband damage with me. "I understand, men will be men,
though as a pure-minded woman, I'm sure I can't imagine why they should
be."

"How far off is the nearest church?" I cut in.

"Only two blocks--that is, the Methodist church," she replied. "But I know
Mr. Ball will bring an Episcopalian."

"Why, I thought you were a devoted Presbyterian," said I, recalling how in
their Brooklyn days she used to insist on Joe's going twice every Sunday to
sleep through long sermons.

She looked uncomfortable. "I was reared Presbyterian," she explained
confusedly, "but you know how it is in New York. And when we came to live
here, we got out of the habit of church-going. And all Alva's little
friends were Episcopalians. So I drifted toward that church. I find the
service so satisfying--so--elegant. And--one sees there the people one sees
socially."

"How is your culture class?" I inquired, deliberately malicious, in my
impatience and nervousness. "And do you still take conversation lessons?"

She was furiously annoyed. "Oh, those old jokes of Joe's," she said,
affectin