illing up the aisles, with a soft hushed
rustle. There was Fred Hamilton and his father, and Dr. Archie Blair
and his family. Dr. Blair was rarely too busy to get to church on a
Sunday morning, though he made a loud pretence of being very
irreligious. It was rumoured that he carried a volume of Burns to
church in his pocket instead of a Bible, a tale which the Doctor
enjoyed immensely and took care not to contradict. There was a silken
rustle at Roderick's right hand, a breath of perfume, and Leslie
Graham, in a wonderful rose silk dress and big plumed hat, came up the
aisle, followed by her father and mother. The Grahams were the most
fashionable people in the church, and Mr. Graham was the only man who
wore a high silk hat. He had been the first to wear the frock coat,
but while many had followed his example in this regard, he was the only
man who had, as yet, gone the length of the silk hat. Of course,
Doctor Leslie had one, but every one felt that it was quite correct for
a minister to wear such a thing. It was part of the clerical garb, and
anyway he wore it only at weddings and funerals, showing it belonged to
the office, rather than to the man. So Alexander Graham's millinery
was looked upon with some disfavour. He was a quiet man though,
sensitive and retiring, and not given to vain display, and people felt
that the sin of the silk hat very likely lay at the door of his
fashionable wife and daughter.

The Grahams were no sooner seated than Leslie turned her handsome head,
and glancing across the church towards Roderick, gave him a brilliant
smile. But the young man did not catch the gracious favour; he was
looking just then at a group passing up the aisle to a seat almost in
front of him; Grandma Armstrong moving very slowly on her eldest
daughter's arm, Miss Annabel in a youthful blue silk dress, and behind
them a girlish figure in a white gown with a wealth of shining hair
gleaming from beneath her wide hat.

Helen Murray had come to church this first Sunday with some fear. Her
father's voice spoke to her yet in every minister's tones, and the
place and the hour were all calculated to bring up memories hard to
bear in public. She was just seated between Grandma and Miss Annabel
when the former pulled her sleeve and enquired if she did not think the
new gladiators very pretty. The girl followed the old lady's eyes and
saw they were indicating the shiny brass electroliers suspended from
the ceili