ifficult matter as neatly as you did."

"Yes," said Mr. Starr, but his eyes twinkled toward Carol once more;
"yes, indeed, I think we are well cleared of a disagreeable business."

But Carol looked at Fairy with such humble, passionate gratitude that
tears came to Fairy's eyes and she turned quickly away.

"Carol is a sweet girl," she thought. "I wonder if things will work out
for her just right--to make her as happy as she ought to be. She's
so--lovely."

CHAPTER VI

SUBSTITUTION

The twins came in at dinner-time wrapped in unwonted silence. Lark's
face was darkened by an anxious shadow, while Carol wore an expression
of heroic determination. They sat down to the table without a word, and
helped themselves to fish balls with a surprising lack of interest.

"What's up?" Connie asked, when the rest of the family dismissed the
matter with amused glances.

Lark sighed and looked at Carol, seeming to seek courage from that
Spartan countenance.

Carol squared her shoulders.

"Well, go on," Connie urged. "Don't be silly. You know you're crazy to
tell us about it, you only want to be coaxed."

Lark sighed again, and gazed appealingly at her stout-hearted twin.
Carol never could resist the appeal of those pleading eyes.

"Larkie promised to speak a piece at the Sunday-school concert two weeks
from to-morrow," she vouchsafed, as unconcernedly as possible.

"Mercy!" ejaculated Connie, with an astonishment that was not altogether
complimentary.

"Careful, Larkie," cautioned Fairy. "You'll disgrace the parsonage if
you don't watch out."

"Nonsense," declared their father, "Lark can speak as well as anybody if
she just keeps a good grip on herself and doesn't get stage fright."

Aunt Grace smiled gently.

Connie frowned. "It's a risky business," she said. "Lark can't speak any
more than a rabbit, and--"

"I know it," was the humble admission.

"Don't be a goose, Con," interrupted Carol. "Of course Lark can speak a
piece. She must learn it, learn it, learn it, so she can rattle it off
backwards with her eyes shut. Then even if she gets scared, she can go
right on and folks won't know the difference. It gets to be a habit if
you know it well enough. That's the whole secret. Of course she can
speak."

"How did it happen?" inquired Fairy.

"I don't know," Lark said sorrowfully. "Nothing was ever farther from my
thoughts, I assure you. The first thing I knew, Mrs. Curtiss was
thanking me for my promise