y, besides bringing things to the
exact point where she wants them to be?" whispered Eurie to Flossy as
they waited in the hall. "Oh, it takes Ruth to manage."

"I wonder," said Flossy, with her far-away look, and half-distressed,
wholly-perplexed curve of the lip--"I wonder if it is strictly _true_;
that is what troubles me a good deal."

Oh, Dr. Hurlbut your address to the children that summer day under the
trees was the germ of this shoot of sensitiveness for the strict truth,
that shall bloom into conscientious fruit.

It was by this process that they were all together in Marion's den, as
Eurie called her stuffed and uninviting little room. Never was mortal
more glad to be interrupted than she, as she unceremoniously tossed
aside school-books and papers, and made room for them around the table.

"You are a blessed trio," she said, exultantly. "What good angel put it
into your hearts to come to me just now and here? I am in the dismals;
have been down all day in the depths of swamp-land, feeling as if I
hadn't a friend on earth, and didn't want one; and here you are, you
blessed three."

"But we didn't come for fun or to comfort you, or anything of that
sort," explained Flossy, earnestly, true to the purpose that had started
her. "We came to talk something over."

"I don't doubt it. Talk it over then by all means. I'll talk at it with
all my heart. We generally do talk something over, I have observed, when
we get together; at least we do of late years. Which one wants to talk?"

Thus introduced, Flossy explained the nature of her perplexities; her
occupation the evening before; the interruption from Dr. Dennis; the
sweeping action of Col. Baker, and the consequent talk.

"Now do you suppose that is true?" she said, suddenly breaking off at
the point where Col. Baker had assured her that all clergymen looked
with utter disfavor on cards.

Marion glanced from one to another of the faces before her with an
amused air; none of them spoke.

"It is rather queer," she said, at last, "that I have to be authority,
or that I seem to be the only one posted, when I have but just emerged
from a state of unbelief in the whole subject. But I tell you truly, my
blessed little innocent, Col. Baker is well posted; not only the clergy,
but he will find a large class of the most enlightened Christians, look
with disapproval on the whole thing in all its variations."

"Why do they?" This from Flossy, with a perplexed and trou