ne away with
her?"

"No," screamed the hook-nosed puppet, "Not me, I aint done away with
her, she done away with herself, she's gone and got 'Rapturized.'"

Then, above the ribald laughter of the crowd, the squeaking puppet sang:

"Oh, p'raps she is, p'raps she aint,
An' p'raps she's gone to sea,
Or p'raps she's gone to Brigham Young
A Mormonite to be."

Ralph shivered as with chill, as he went up the steps of the great
church to which he had been aiming. It was filling fast. Five minutes
after he entered, the doors had to be closed, there was not even
standing room.

He swept the huge densely-packed building with his keen eyes. Many
present were evidently accustomed to gather there, though the bulk were
curious strangers. A strange hush was upon the people, a
half-frightened look upon many faces, and a general air of suspense.

Once, someone in the gallery cracked a nut. The sound was almost as
startling as a pistol shot, and hundreds of faces were turned in the
direction of the sound.

Ralph noticed that the Communion table, on the lower platform under the
rostrum was covered with white, and evidently arranged as for the
Lord's Supper.

Exactly at eleven, someone emerged from a vestry and passed up the
rostrum stairs. A moment later the man was standing at the desk. Many
instantly recognized him. It was the Secretary of the Church.

A dead hush fell upon the people.

The face of the man was deathly pale, his eyes were dull and sunken.
Twice his lips parted and he essayed to speak, but no sound escaped
him. The hush deepened.

Then, at last, low and husky came the words "My dear friends--for I
recognize some who have been wont to gather here on the Sundays, though
the majority are strangers, I think."

His eyes slowly swept the great congregation. "We have, I believe,
many of us, gathered here this morning more by a new, strange, common
instinct, than by mere force of Sunday habit. Yet, I cannot but think
that many of us, solemnized by the events that have transpired since
last Sunday, have met more in the Spirit of real seeking after God than
ever we have done before."

A few voices joined in a murmur of assent, but something like a ripple
of mocking laughter came from others. And one voice in the gallery
laughed outright--it was the man who had cracked the nut.

Momentarily unnerved by that laughter the speaker paused. Then
recovering himself he went on:

"Our pastor h