crowd."

"That's so!" said Allison. "I don't know but I'll try it. I'd like to
have them come the night you sing. Guess I'll have to hunt around and
get a speaker. No, I won't either. Just the meeting itself is good
enough now for anybody. They're a pretty good little bunch down there.
They've been working like beavers. Jane Bristol gets the girls
together, and coaches them for every meeting. She's some girl, do you
know it?"

Howard Letchworth agreed that she was, but he cast a side glance down
at the bright head of the girl, who was playing his accompaniment as
if he felt there were others. Julia Cloud was watching her darling
girl, wondering, hoping, praying that she might always stay so sweet
and unspoiled.

But when the young man was gone home, and Leslie came back to the
couch again, she suddenly drooped.

"Cloudy Jewel," she said wearily, "it isn't right. I don't deserve
people to be so nice to me, the dean, and you all, and Howard and
everybody. It was a lot my fault that all this happened. I thought I
could make that girl over if I just stuck to her. She had promised me
she would come to Christian Endeavor, and join; and I wanted to show
you all what a power I had over her. I was just conceited; that was
all there was about it. Now I see that she was only fooling me. I
couldn't have done anything at all alone. I needed God. I didn't ask
Him to help. You've talked a lot about that in our Sunday meetings,
but it never went down into my heart until I was driving past that old
crematory, and I felt as if I was all alone and Death all in black
trailing robes was going along fast beside me. Then I knew God was the
only one who could help, and I began to pray. I hope maybe I've
learned my lesson, and I'll not be so swelled-headed next time. But
you oughtn't to forgive me, Cloudy, not so easy. Cloudy, you're just
like God!"

It was several days before Leslie recovered fully from the nervous
strain she had been under. She slept long the next day, and Julia
Cloud would not waken her. For a week there were dark circles under
the bright eyes, and the rose of her cheek was pale. She went
about meekly with downcast eyes, and the bright fervor of her spirit
seemed dimmed. It was not until one afternoon when Allison suggested
that they get Jane Bristol and Howard Letchworth and go for
bittersweet-berry vines and hemlock-branches to decorate for the
Christian Endeavor social that her spirits seemed to return, and
the u