a was among them."]

But afterward Emmy Lou found herself wavering. Was Emmy Lou's a sordid
soul? For next came Confirmation at the Synagogue, and that, it seemed,
meant presents. Gertie wore to school a locket on a glittering chain;
Rebecca showed a new ring. Emmy Lou's faith was wavering.

About this time Miss Fanny spoke her mind. Because of excuses and
absences, because of abstractions and absorptions, Miss Fanny said marks
were low; and she reminded them of Examination for the Grammar School
near at hand. Then she asked a little girl named Sally why she had
failed to hand in her Composition.

[Illustration: "Gertie wore to school a locket on a glittering chain;
Rebecca showed a new ring."]

Sally said her church was having a season of prayer, and her Mother
said Sally was old enough now to go, and as it was both afternoons and
evenings, Sally had had no time to write a Composition.

Miss Fanny told Sally to remain in at recess and write it. Mr. Bryan had
inquired for her Composition.

Sally remained in tears. The subject for her Composition was "Duty."

Miss Fanny put her hand on Sally's shoulder and said something about a
divided duty. And Sally cried some more, and Miss Fanny sat down at the
desk and helped her.

Emmy Lou saw it. She had come upstairs, in a moment of doubt and
perplexity, to consult the Dictionary; the word was _heretic_.

It was this way. They had been in a group at recess and Mary Agatha was
dividing her button-string. Mary Agatha said she had given up worldly
things, and it would be a sin for her to own a button-string.

She offered Hattie a button. Hattie refused it; she said if it was a sin
to own a button-string, why should Mary Agatha offer her buttons to
other people? And she walked off. Hattie had an uncompromising way of
putting things. Hattie was a Presbyterian.

Emmy Lou felt anxious; she had been offered a button first and had taken
it gratefully, for her button-string was short.

But Mary Agatha assured her that she and Hattie and the others of the
group could own button-strings where Mary Agatha could not. A mere
matter of a button-string made small difference. They were Heretics.

Rosalie put her arm about Emmy Lou. Being High Church, she did not take
it to herself; she took it for Emmy Lou.

Emmy Lou hesitated. Ought she to be offended? Was she a Heretic? Emmy
Lou was cautious, for she had contradicted Hattie about being an Animal,
and then had to confess on paper