felt as if he were in some way a monster. He
hastened to be sympathetic. If she was alone and timid it would afford
him nothing but pleasure to see her safely to any part of the city she
chose to mention. He was going out simply for a stroll, with no business
whatever.

"Oh, it isn't that," Flossy said, hastily. "I am such a little way from
the chapel, and it is so early I shall not be afraid; but I am so
disappointed. You see, Judge Erskine, we girls were each to bring one
with us to the meeting to-night, and I have tried so hard, I have asked
almost a dozen people, and none of them could go. At last I happened to
think of your Katie Flinn: I knew she was in our Sunday-school, and I
thought perhaps if I asked her she would go with me, if Ruth had not
done it before me. She was my last chance, and I am more disappointed
than I can tell you."

Shall I try to describe to you what a strange sensation Judge Erskine
felt in the region of his heart as he stood there in the hall with that
pretty blushing girl, who seemed to him only a child, and found that her
quivering chin and swimming eyes meant simply that she had failed in
securing even his chambermaid to attend the prayer-meeting? He never
remembered to have had such an astonishing feeling, nor such a queer
choking sensation in his throat.

His own daughter was dignified and stately; the very picture of her
father, every one said; he had no idea that she could shed a tear any
more than he could himself; but this timid, flushing, trembling little
girl seemed made of some other material than just the clay that he
supposed himself to be composed of.

He stood regarding her with a sort of pleased wonder. In common with
many other stately gentlemen, he very much admired real, unaffected,
artless childhood. It seemed to him that a grieved child stood before
him. How could he comfort her? If a doll, now, with curling hair and
blue eyes could do it, how promptly should it be bought and given to
this flesh-and-blood doll before him.

But no, nothing short of some one to accompany her to prayer-meeting
would appease this little troubled bit of humanity. In the magnanimity
of his haughty heart the learned judge took a sudden and almost
overpowering resolution.

Could _he_ go? he asked her. To be sure, he was not Katie Flinn, but he
would do his best to take the place of that personage if she would
kindly let him go to the said meeting with her.

It was worth a dozen sittin