about, Rose?" she said.

"I was wondering about something. You have promised to come to church
with me this evening. I will tell you after church."

Rosamund went away to her room, and there she sat down and wrote a long
letter to her mother. She did not tell any one the contents of that
letter; but it took her a long time to write, and when she had finished
her cheeks were flushed and her eyes brighter than ever.

At last the sweet bells ringing out the time for evening service smote
upon the summer air, and the two girls, in their white dresses, started
off to walk to the pretty church, which was in reality not far away.
Irene had not been in church since she was a tiny child, when she had
screamed loudly, uttered naughty words, declared that the clergyman had
no right to come in in his night-gown, and, in short, disgraced herself
so thoroughly that she was carried out amidst a tempest of tears and
protestations.

Now the older and wiser Irene, beautifully dressed all in white, looking
more like an angel than a naughty, wayward, disagreeable girl, entered
the old building and sat down near Rosamund in a pew at the end of the
church. One of the churchwardens invited the two young people to come up
higher; but Rosamund requested to be left where they were, and presently
the rest of the congregation streamed in.

Irene was all excitement. She was, in fact, trembling all over. The
quiet grayness and the age of the building impressed her, she knew not
why. Then the boys in their white surplices excited her wonder; then she
watched the congregation. The Singletons, as usual, were in their simple
white and green; as usual their beautiful fair hair flowed down their
backs; as usual they walked up the old aisle in pairs, two, and two, and
two; and last of all came Miss Carter.

"She doesn't look nice at all," said Irene to herself.

"How well I remember all about her: that rather crooked back of hers,
those sloping shoulders, that ill-made dress, and that hat put on always
at the wrong angle. She is rather like Frosty. I wonder why I never had
a stylish governess? But I'd have hated her worse than ever. Well, now I
have got Rosamund--my dear, darling Rosamund--and she is beautiful as
well as good."

Irene gazed with adoring eyes at her friend. Miss Frost was not present
at the evening service.

By-and-by the Merriman party made their appearance, and took their seats
in the large square family pew. There was the Profe