. I think he will offer her an
engagement for next summer with a certain stock company which he
controls."

"How can I ever repay you and Mr. Southard for all you have done for
me?" said Anne earnestly.

"By accepting the engagement," laughed Grace.

"Grace is right," agreed Miss Southard. "Everett and I are trying to
help Anne in the way we think best."

"Then I will be pleasing myself, too," confessed Anne. "For I love my
dramatic work as well as I do that of the college. Now, let us talk
about Oakdale and all our friends. We have so many things to tell you."

It was after eleven o'clock when the girls retired. They had decided not
to stay up until Mr. Southard's return. Once in their rooms they found
themselves too sleepy for conversation and five minutes after their
lights were out they were fast asleep.

They were up in good season the next morning, as it had been agreed that
they should be present at the morning service in the church the
Southards attended. Thanksgiving dinner was to be served at exactly half
past twelve o'clock, instead of at night, for Mr. Southard had a matinee
as well as an evening performance to give and never left the theatre for
dinner during this short intermission.

In church that morning as she sat listening to the beautiful service,
Grace felt that she had everything for which to be thankful. In her
heart she said an earnest little prayer for all those unfortunates to
whom life had grudged even bread. She resolved to be more kind and
helpful during the coming year, and prayed that she might see the right
clearly and have the courage always to choose it.

"I felt as though I wanted to be superlatively good all the rest of my
life," confessed Miriam on the way home. "That minister preached as
though he loved the whole world and wished it to be happy."

"He does. He is a very fine man," said Miss Southard, "and does splendid
work among the very poor people. It will perhaps surprise you to know
that he was at one time an actor of great promise in Mr. Southard's
company. Then he received the conviction that his duty lay in entering
the ministry and he left the stage, entered a theological institute and
after receiving his degree came back to New York as the pastor of a
small church on the East Side. Everett and I were among his most
faithful parishioners. Then later on he received an appointment to the
church we just left, and has been there ever since."

"That will be an interes