funny I should forget THAT
awful name--he was named Solomon--Solomon Cripps... Why, what is it?"

Miss Morley's smile and the mischievous twinkle had vanished. She looked
startled, and even frightened, it seemed to me.

"What is it, Frances?" repeated Hephzy, anxiously.

"Nothing--nothing. Solomon--what was it? Solomon Cripps. That is an odd
name. And you met this Mr.--er--Cripps?"

"Yes, we met him. He had a house he wanted to let us, and I guess we'd
have taken it, too, only you seemed to hate the name of Leatherhead so.
Don't you remember you did? I don't blame you. Of the things to call a
pretty town that's about the worst."

"Yes, it is rather frightful. But this, Mr.--er--Cripps; was he as bad
as his name? Did you talk with him?"

"Only about the house. Hosy and I didn't like him well enough to
talk about anything else, except religion. He and his wife gave us
to understand they were awful pious. I'm afraid we wouldn't have been
churchy enough to suit them, anyway. Hosy, here, doesn't go to meetin'
as often as he ought to."

"I am glad of it." The young lady's tone was emphatic and she looked as
if she meant it. We were surprised.

"You're glad of it!" repeated Hephzy, in amazement. "Why?"

"Because I hate persons who go to church all the time and boast of it,
who do all sorts of mean things, but preach, preach, preach continually.
They are hypocritical and false and cruel. I HATE them."

She looked now as she had in the room at Mrs. Briggs's when I had
questioned her concerning her father. I could not imagine the reason for
this sudden squall from a clear sky. Hephzy drew a long breath.

"Well," she said, after a moment, "then Hosy and you ought to get along
first-rate together. He's down on hypocrites and make-believe piety
as bad as you are. The only time he and Mr. Partridge, our minister
in Bayport, ever quarreled--'twasn't a real quarrel, but more of a
disagreement--was over what sort of a place Heaven was. Mr. Partridge
was certain sure that nobody but church members would be there, and Hosy
said if some of the church members in Bayport were sure of a ticket, the
other place had strong recommendations. 'Twas an awful thing to say, and
I was almost as shocked as the minister was; that is I should have been
if I hadn't known he didn't mean it."

Miss Morley regarded me with a new interest, or at least I thought she
did.

"Did you mean it?" she asked.

I smiled. "Yes," I answered.

"Now, Hos