y Nellie's excitement
found burning words: "I _heard_ her, Miss McFarlin! She thinks I ran
away! _Me!_ Well, I know she has a mean opinion of me, but I didn't
expect she'd be that unjust. I'm jest as fond of Miss Mercy as she is;
I only sprinted down the street to ketch her young man, because I know
they had a misunderstanding, and I was sure, no matter how mad he was,
the minute I told him, he'd come a-running, and whether they let her see
him or not, it would cheer her up a whole lot to know he tried. And as
for Mrs. Biff's pitying Miss Mercy and finding fault with her, _I_ can
tell you she's made me believe things Mrs. Biff nor nobody else could if
she offered me the kingdom of heaven and a chromo! I never believed
before rich folks _could_ be like her. I don't know what that Altrury of
hers is, but if _she_ believes in it _I'm_ going to; and so is Phil, and
he's going to make them stop the strike, too; and it's a whole lot
because of what she's said and what I've said 'bout her. It is, for
fair!"

Thereupon Nellie burst into tears, and disappeared behind the kitchen
lattice.

Later, some hours later, I had a chance to tell Katy. But it was then no
news to her. She shook her philosophic head. "'Lightning and grace,'
Biff used to say, 'you can't noways bet on, for there's no manner of
knowing _where_ they'll strike.' Now that Nellie, she fairly bu'st into
Miss Mercy's room, me being busy seeing Mr. Gordon safe outer the
house; and I expected to find she'd riz Miss Mercy's temperature; but
she'd most cured her instid; and Miss Mercy she set up and laffed out
loud. And she ain't got smallpox, neither, not a bit; no more'n that
ijit Sallie Kane, who's down with German measles and nothing wuss. I
guess we was all more scared than hurt. But it beats all about
Nellie--well, I want to be fair to all, she's been doing the sweeping
better for a good while. All I say is, if Alterruria can convert Nellie
Small there must be something decent in Alterruria."

"I wish it might convert all of us--a _little_," said I. "I'm afraid I'm
not enlightened enough to desire entire conversion; it would demand a
new incarnation!"

THROUGH THE TERRORS OF THE LAW

A STORY OF ARKANSAS

Sist' Esmeralda Humphreys was not present at the meeting of Zion
Hard-shell Baptist Church. It is questionable whether there had been any
such meeting had she been likely to attend, since how to dispense with
the ministry of Sister Humphreys was its