a poor substitute
for----"

"Oh, for goodness' sake, twins, come back to Miss Allen. I am going
right up to her house this minute, to ask her about it, and explain----"

"She's the one to do the explaining, seems to me," said Carol
belligerently. "We've got to stick up for the Bible, Prue,--it's our
business."

"And I don't think you should tell her,--it may hurt her feelings,"
urged Lark.

"Have heretics feelings?" queried Carol. "I suppose it's a feeling
of----"

"Carol! Will you quit talking for a minute! This is a serious matter.
If she believes all that nonsense, she's no proper teacher and--and
she'll have to be put out of the high school. And if she doesn't
believe it, she's a martyr! I'm going to find out about it at once.
Do you want to come with me?"

"I should say not," said the twins promptly.

"I think you're very foolish to go at all," added Lark.

"I wouldn't go for a dollar," declared Carol. "It'd be very
interesting to see how a heretic feels, but I don't care to know how
ordinary Christians feel when they fall into their hands. I'm not
aching to see Miss Allen to-night."

So Prudence set forth, conscientiously, in the darkness. A brave and
heroic thing for Prudence to do, for she was a cowardly creature at
heart.

Miss Allen heard her voice in the lower hall, and came running
down-stairs to meet her. "Come up," she cried eagerly, "come on up."

And before Prudence was fairly inside the door, she demanded, "What is
it? Did you find out? Is it my fault?"

Then Prudence blushed and stammered, "Why--it sounds--silly but--they
think you are a--heretic."

Miss Allen gasped. Then she laughed. Then she walked to her
dressing-table and picked up a long hatpin. "Will you kindly jab this
into me?" she said. "I'm having a nightmare."

Prudence explained in detail. At first Miss Allen laughed, it must be
confessed. Then she grew very sober. "It is really my fault," she
said, "for I should have remembered that young people read a ton of
meaning into a pound of words. Of course, I am not guilty, Miss Starr.
Professor Duke and Miss Adams can swear to that. They call me
Goody-goody. They say I am an old-fashioned apostle, and they accuse
me of wanting to burn them both at the stake! Now, sit down and let me
explain."

Prudence sat down. She was glad, so glad, that this sweet-faced,
bright-eyed woman was an "ordinary Christian," and not a "priest and a
Levite!"

"About th