ent relish, returned to their perusal of the book.

Fairy rose almost immediately and went into the house, coming back a
moment later with her hat and gloves.

"I'm going for a stroll, Prue," she said. "I'll be back in time for
supper."

Prudence gazed yearningly after her departing back. She felt a great
need of help in this crisis, and Fairy's nonchalance was sometimes very
soothing. Aunt Grace was a darling, of course, but she had long ago
disclaimed all responsibility for the rearing of the twins.

It was two hours later when Fairy came back. Prudence was alone on the
porch.

"Where are the twins?" asked Fairy softly.

"Up-stairs," was the whispered reply. "Well?"

Then Fairy spoke more loudly, confident that the twins, in their
up-stairs room, could hear every word she said. "Come up-stairs, Prue. I
want to talk this over with you alone." And then she whispered, "Now,
you just take your cue from me, and do as I say. The little sinners!
We'll teach them to be so funny!"

In their own room she carefully closed the door and smiled, as she noted
a creaking of the closet door on the twins' side of the wall.
Eavesdropping was not included among the cardinal sins in the twins'
private decalogue, when the conversation concerned themselves.

"Now, Prudence," Fairy began, speaking with an appearance of softness,
though she took great pains to turn her face toward the twins' room, and
enunciated very clearly indeed. "I know this will hurt you, as it does
me, but we've got to face it fairly. If the twins are convinced that
Christian Science is the right kind of religion, we can't stand in their
way. It might turn them from all religion and make them infidels or
atheists, or something worse. Any religion is better than none. I've
been reading up a little myself this afternoon, and there are some good
points in Christian Science. Of course, for our sakes and father's, the
twins will be generous and deny that they are Scientists. But at heart,
they are. I saw it this afternoon. And you and I, Prudence, must stand
together and back them up. They'll have to leave the Methodist church.
It may break our hearts, and father's, too, but we can't wrong our
little sisters just for our personal pride and pleasure in them. I think
we'll have them go before the official board next Sunday while father is
gone--then he will be spared the pain of it. I'll speak to Mr. Lauren
about it to-morrow. We must make it as easy for them as we c