d in color; she had come in contact with Col. Baker on this
very question.

Ruth looked up quickly from the paper on which she was scribbling.

"I think myself," she said, "that if it should seem necessary to me to
give up cards entirely, consistency would oblige me to include croquet,
and all other games of that sort."

"I shouldn't feel obliged to do any such thing," Marion said, promptly;
"at least, not until I had become convinced that people played croquet
late into the night, in rooms smelling of tobacco and liquor, and were
tempted to drink freely of the latter, and pawn their coats, if
necessary, to get money enough to carry out the game. You see, there is
a difference."

"Yet people can gamble in playing croquet," Eurie said, thoughtfully.

"Oh, yes, and people can gamble with pins, or in tossing up pennies. The
point is, they are not in the habit of doing it; and pins suggest no
such thing to people in general; neither do croquet balls; while the
fact remains that the ordinary use of cards, is to gamble with them; and
comparatively few of those who use them habitually confine themselves to
quiet home games. People are in danger of making their brothers offend
by their use; we all know that."

"If that is true, then just that one verse from the Bible ought to
settle the whole question." There was no mistaking the quiet meaning in
Flossy's voice; it was as good as saying that the whole question _was_
settled for her. Marion regarded her with evident satisfaction; her
manner was all the more fascinating, because she was so entirely
unconscious that this way of looking at questions, rather than this firm
manner of settling questions, was not common, even among Christians.
"Can you show me the verse in your Bible?" she presently asked.

"I can do that same with the greatest pleasure," Marion said, bringing
forward a new and shining concordance. "I really meant to have a new
dress this fall; I say that, Ruthie, for your special comfort; but the
truth is, there was an army of Bible verses that I learned in my youth
trooping up to me, and I had such a desire to see the connection, and
find out what they were all about, that I was actually obliged to
sacrifice the dress and get a concordance. I have lots of comfort with
it. Here is the verse, Flossy."

Flossy drew the Bible toward her with a little sigh.

"I wish I knew an army of verses," she said. "Seems to me I don't know
any at all." Then she went to read