looked at Mr. Dale eagerly, but this especial piece of wisdom still
eluded the older man.

"It begins," said Mr. Dale, hesitating, and fixing his eyes upon the
ceiling,--"it begins--let me see. 'When in doubt'--ah"--

"What is it?" gasped Mr. Denner. "That has a familiar sound, but I cannot
seem to finish it. When in doubt, what?"

"Well," answered his friend ruefully, "it is not quite--it does not
exactly apply. I am afraid it won't; help us out. You know the rest. It
is merely--'take the trick'!"

CHAPTER XVI.

The morning after John Ward's return from his two weeks' absence at
General Assembly, he found it hard to settle down to work. Not that there
was very much to talk about, for daily letters had told of daily doings,
but to be with Helen again was an absorbing joy. She followed him about
as he put his papers away, and he, in turn, came out into the garden to
watch her while she showed Alfaretta where to plant some flower seeds.

"Come over here," Helen said, "and see these violets under the big elm!
I have been so in hopes they would blossom in time to welcome you. Let's
pick some for the study."

They pushed the shining, wet leaves aside, and found the flowers, and
then John watched his wife put them in a shallow dish on his table.

"It is weak in me to come in here," Helen said, smiling. "I know you
ought to work, yet here I sit."

"This is Thursday," he answered, "and I wrote my sermon on the train
yesterday, so after I have copied the reports I can afford to be lazy. I
cannot bear to have you out of my sight!" He drew her brown head down on
his shoulder, and stroked her face softly. "When I'm away from you,
Helen, I seem only half alive."

"And in three weeks I have to go to Ashurst," she said ruefully. "It is
too bad I couldn't have gone while you were at General Assembly, but it
wouldn't have been right for us both to be away from the parsonage at
once."

"No. Well, we have the three weeks yet. Yes, I must send you away, and
get at the reports. How you brighten this room, Helen! I think it must
be the sunshine that seems caught in your hair. It gleams like bronze
oak-leaves in October."

"Love has done wonderful things for your eyes, John," she said, smiling,
as she left him.

She put on her heavy gloves and brought her trowel from under the front
porch, and she and the maid began to dig up the fresh, damp earth on the
sunny side of the house.

"We'll have some sweet-peas here, Al