ny."

"We haven't given her a chance," said Carol, with her impish smile.

"Go on," begged Prudence. "Tell me. You're both crazy, I see that.
But tell me!"

"Well," began Lark, for Carol always relegated the story-telling to her
more gifted twin, "we've suspected Miss Allen right from the start.
They used to have Bible reading every morning in school, one chapter,
you know, and then the Lord's prayer. After the first week, Miss Allen
dropped it. We thought that was a--a suspicious circumstance."

"Phenomenally so," said Carol darkly.

"But we kept our suspicions to ourselves, and we didn't come across
anything else for several days. We wouldn't condemn anybody on--on
circumstantial evidence, Prue. We're very fair-minded, you know."

"In spite of being twins," added Carol.

"What's that got to do with it?" Prudence inquired, frowning at Carol.

"Oh, nothing," admitted Carol, driven into a corner. "I just wanted to
make it emphatic."

"Go on, Lark."

"Well, there's a girl at school named Hattie Simpson. You do not know
her, Prue. We don't associate with her. Oh, yes, we like her very
well, but she isn't parsonage material."

"She's a goat," put in Carol. "You needn't frown, Prue, that's Bible!
Don't you remember the sheep and the goats? I don't know now just what
it was they did, but I know the goats were very--very disreputable
characters!"

"Go on, Lark."

"Well, her folks are atheists, and she's an atheist, too. You know
what an atheist is, don't you? You know, Prue, Mount Mark is a very
religious town, on account of the Presbyterian College, and all, and it
seems the Simpsons are the only atheists here. Hattie says people look
down on her terribly because of it. She says the church folks consider
them, the Simpsons, that is, the dust on their shoes, and the crumbs
off the rich man's table. She got that terribly mixed up, but I didn't
correct her."

"I think she did very well for an atheist," said Carol, determined not
to be totally overlooked in this discussion.

"What has all this to do with Miss Allen?"

"Well, one day Hattie was walking home from school with us, and she was
telling us about it,--the dust on their shoes, etc.,--and she said she
liked Miss Allen better than anybody else in town. I asked why. She
said Miss Allen believed the same things the Simpsons believe, only
Miss Allen daren't say so publicly, or they would put her out of the
school. She said Miss Allen sa