in the ranges for fully a
third of my time. The spirit of the mining population, as well as of
the cattlemen, while not actually hostile, is one of indifference to
religious thought. They care nothing whatever for it in the abstract,
and have no use for any minister, unless it may be to marry their
children or bury their dead. I am hence obliged to meet with them
merely as man to man, and thus slowly win their confidence before I
dare even approach a religious topic. For three long years I worked
here without even a church organization or a building; and apparently
without the faintest encouragement. Now that we have a nucleus
gathered, a comfortable building erected and paid for, with an
increasing congregation, I begin to feel that those seemingly barren
five years were not without spiritual value."

She quickly extended her hands. "Oh, it is so heroic, so
self-sacrificing! No doubt I was hasty and wrong. But I have always
been accustomed to so much larger churches. I am going to help you,
Mr. Wynkoop, in every way I possibly can--I shall certainly speak to
both Mr. Moffat and Mr. McNeil the very first opportunity. I feel
almost sure that they will join."

The unavoidable exigencies of a choir practice compelled Mr. Wynkoop to
retire early, nor was it yet late when the more intimate family circle
also dissolved, and the two girls discovered themselves alone. Naida
drew down the shades and lit the lamp. Miss Spencer slowly divested
herself of her outer dress, replacing it with a light wrapper, encased
her feet snugly in comfortable slippers, and proceeded to let down her
flossy hair in gleaming waves across her shoulders. Naida's dark eyes
bespoke plainly her admiration, and Miss Spencer shook back her hair
somewhat coquettishly.

"Do you think I look nice?" she questioned, smilingly.

"You bet I do. Your hair is just beautiful, Miss Spencer."

The other permitted the soft strands to slip slowly between her white
fingers. "You should never say 'you bet,' Naida. Such language is not
at all lady-like. I am going to call you Naida, and you must call me
Phoebe. People use their given names almost entirely out here in the
West, don't they?"

"I never have had much training in being a lady," the young girl
explained, reddening, "but I can learn. Yes, I reckon they do mostly
use the first names out here."

"Please don't say 'I reckon,' either; it has such a vulgar sound. What
is his given name?"