med of. And Christina Lindsay, remembering when that day
came, this Temperance meeting, recalled with self-abasement that she
had thought that Gavin Grant could not have chosen a song more unlike
himself; he, so shy and shrinking to sing of "A Warrior Bold." If she
had not been so downhearted she would have laughed at him.

When the song was finished there was a moment's hush over the meeting,
and then came a storm of applause, long continued. The boys took to
clapping and stamping rhythmically, and shouting, "More, more," until
the old building rocked.

But Gavin shook his head persistently, and John arose and announced the
next. This was a comic song by Marmaduke Simms, and Duke certainly was
a very funny fellow. He could imitate anything from Mrs. Johnnie
Dunn's car on a steep hill, to the Martins' youngest baby crying. He
soon had them all in roars of laughter, and the meeting broke up in
much gaiety, and some anxiety on the part of the girls as to their
ability to do as well on the next Friday.

Most of the boys and girls paired off and vanished into the darkness.
The unfortunate ones who were not yet attached, moved away in bunches.
Christina belonged to this latter class, unless a brother was with her.
But Jimmie had disappeared with the boys of his own age, John was
walking ahead, arguing hotly with Tremendous K. about the subject of
his address, and Sandy had meanly deserted her to go off with a white
dress, which she had identified as belonging to Margaret Sinclair, the
minister's youngest daughter who was home for her holidays. Under
happier circumstances Christina would have been pleased at his choice,
but nothing in connection with poor Sandy could please her just now.
He was bearing his disappointment far better than she was, for her
trouble was worse than a disappointment. The unbearable part to her
was the fact that stared her in the face, the fact that she was
deliberately taking the privilege denied him.

She walked away from the hall slowly and silently, between Joanna Falls
and Annie Brown, for Joanna's cavalier was a very uncertain quantity
and poor plain Annie had never had a beau in her life. But Joanna
suddenly remembered that she had left her handkerchief on the seat in
the hall, and must run back for it before Trooper and Duke locked the
door. The girls knew better than to wait for her, and then Burke
Wright and Mitty strolled up and began talking with Annie. Christina
stepped be