THE WALLENCAMP SCHOOL-HOUSE.
Scene from the Play.]

The Sunday-school had risen to its feet and was slowly droning "Yield not
to temptation," etc. The situation was odd enough. Mr. Rollin's repressed
laughing voice was in my ear: "Will you yield?" and I yielded.

At the close of the Sunday-school, as we were going out of the church, I
told Grandma that I should drive home with Emily's fisherman.

She drew me gravely to one side. "We shall be very sorry to lose your
company, teacher," she said; "only we hadn't ought to lose no precious
opportunity, and I do hope as you'll labor for that young man's soul." I
felt hopelessly conscience-stricken.

We drove home through "Lost Cedars"--a good many miles out of the
ordinary course--and I was cheerfully consenting to the divergence.

Wild and tenantless, in the midst of a wild and tenantless landscape,
Lost Cedars wore that air of lovely, though utter, desolation which might
easily have suggested its name.

There was a still unfrozen lake, which the setting sun, more like the sun
of an Italian winter than of rugged New England, was painting in gorgeous
colors, when we reached the place.

"We come fishing here, sometimes," said Mr. Rollin; "I keep a little boat
down there under the bush, and I happen to have the key of the boat here
in my pocket. It looks awfully tempting, doesn't it?"

I had always been passionately fond of out-door life, and prided myself
in having acquired no little skill at the oar. We were out on the painted
lake, and I was rowing the light boat, and taking much selfish enjoyment
out of the scene around me, when I became conscious that the fisherman
was leaning far forward from his seat in the boat, addressing me in a low
tone.

"To discuss a topic appropriate to the day, Miss Hungerford: I suppose
you've read about that fellow who was looking for the pearl of great
price, haven't you?--that is, as I take it, you know, it was something
that was going to be of more value to him than anything else in the
world,--well, now, I believe that every man thinks he's going to be lucky
enough to fall in with something of that sort some day, don't you?"

Mr. Rollin's tone was unusually serious and even slightly embarrassed. I
looked up with curious surprise from my dreamy observation of the water.
Then I thought of what Grandma Keeler had said to me about laboring for
this young man's spiritual good.

"I think we all ought to seek it," I observed tritely,