aboard and took possession. You quit trusting the
Lord the instant you got into deep water.

"You made a mistake when you let anybody's gossip run you out of the
church or the society. You ought to have stayed and lived it down!
That's the only thing for you to do now; go back and begin again and
make people believe in your innocence. It will be hard for you, and
powerfully awkward, for you have more than your share of pride and
sensitiveness, but it's the only manly thing to do."

"Oh, I _couldn't_ go back!" groaned Alec. "I believe I'd rather die
first. If it had only been what they said about me, I might have done
it, but I couldn't face what they'd continually be thinking about my
father. I could never live that down."

"Yes, you can! If you'll only put yourself entirely in the Lord's
hands, He'll furnish the strength for you to do whatever is right.
You've come to a crisis, Alec Stoker. You've got to fight it out
right now, which is to have control of the rest of your life, God or
the devil."

There was a long silence. Presently, in a voice choked with emotion,
the old man said, "Kneel down, son; I want to pray with you."
Together they knelt in the darkening room.

For a long time after old Jimmy took his leave, Alec sat gazing into
the flickering fire, as the room grew dimmer and dimmer. Then, urged
on by some impulse almost beyond his control, he slipped on his
overcoat and hurried out into the street. When he reached the
vestibule at the side door of the church, he stood a moment with his
hand on the latch. His courage had suddenly failed him. He would go
back home and wait until another time, he told himself. The service
must be nearly over.

But just then some one struck a few soft chords on the piano, and a
full, clear voice began to sing. It was Avery's voice, and she sang
with all the pleading earnestness of a prayer:

"Jesus, Saviour, pilot me
Over life's tempestuous sea!
Unknown waves before me roll,
Hiding rock and treacherous shoal;
Chart and compass come from thee:
Jesus, Saviour, pilot me."

Out in the darkness, the storm-tossed, homesick boy stood listening,
till his whole soul seemed to go out in that one cry, "Jesus,
Saviour, pilot me!" It was a complete surrender of self, and as he
whispered the words a peace that he had never known before, a great
peace he could not understand, seemed to fold him