hen
things had gone particularly hard and Forsythe had hurt the feelings of
Fiddling Boss with his insolent directions about playing. She could not
say or do anything much in the matter, because the Temples had been very
kind in helping to get the piano, and Mr. Temple seemed to think he was
doing the greatest possible kindness to her in letting Forsythe off duty
so much to help with the play. The matter became more and more of a
distress to Margaret, and the Sabbath was the only day of real delight.

The first Sunday after the arrival of the piano was a great day.
Everybody in the neighborhood turned out to the Sunday-afternoon class
and vesper service, which had been growing more and more in popularity,
until now the school-room was crowded. Every man from the bunk-house
came regularly, often including Pop Wallis, who had not yet recovered
fully from the effect of his wife's new bonnet and fluffy arrangement of
hair, but treated her like a lady visitor and deferred to her absolutely
when he was at home. He wasn't quite sure even yet but he had strayed by
mistake into the outermost courts of heaven and ought to get shooed out.
He always looked at the rose-wreathed curtains with a mingling of pride
and awe.

Margaret had put several hymns on the blackboard in clear, bold
printing, and the singing that day was wonderful. Not the least part of
the service was her own playing over of the hymns before the singing
began, which was listened to with reverence as if it had been the music
of an angel playing on a heavenly harp.

Gardley always came to the Sunday services, and helped her with the
singing, and often they two sang duets together.

The service was not always of set form. Usually Margaret taught a short
Bible lesson, beginning with the general outline of the Bible, its
books, their form, substance, authors, etc.--all very brief and
exceedingly simple, putting a wide space of music between this and the
vesper service, into which she wove songs, bits of poems, passages from
the Bible, and often a story which she told dramatically, illustrating
the scripture read.

But the very Sunday before the play, just the time Margaret had looked
forward to as being her rest from all the perplexities of the week, a
company from the fort, including the Temples, arrived at the
school-house right in the midst of the Bible lesson.

The ladies were daintily dressed, and settled their frills and ribbons
amusedly as they watched th