r. Burch in
the afternoon because he called upon Rebecca to "lead." She had seen
the pallor creep into the girl's face, the hunted look in her eyes, and
the trembling of the lashes on her cheeks, and realized the ordeal
through which she was passing. Her prejudice against the minister had
relaxed under his genial talk and presence, but feeling that Mrs. Burch
was about to tread on dangerous ground, she hastily asked her if one
had to change cars many times going from Riverboro to Syria. She felt
that it was not a particularly appropriate question, but it served her
turn.

Deacon Milliken, meantime, said to Miss Sawyer, "Mirandy, do you know
who Rebecky reminds me of?"

"I can guess pretty well," she replied.

"Then you've noticed it too! I thought at first, seein' she favored her
father so on the outside, that she was the same all through; but she
ain't, she's like your father, Israel Sawyer."

"I don't see how you make that out," said Miranda, thoroughly
astonished.

"It struck me this afternoon when she got up to give your invitation in
meetin'. It was kind o' cur'ous, but she set in the same seat he used
to when he was leader o' the Sabbath-school. You know his old way of
holdin' his chin up and throwin' his head back a leetle when he got up
to say anything? Well, she done the very same thing; there was more'n
one spoke of it."

The callers left before nine, and at that hour (an impossibly
dissipated one for the brick house) the family retired for the night.
As Rebecca carried Mrs. Burch's candle upstairs and found herself thus
alone with her for a minute, she said shyly, "Will you please tell Mr.
Burch that I'm not a member of the church? I didn't know what to do
when he asked me to pray this afternoon. I hadn't the courage to say I
had never done it out loud and didn't know how. I couldn't think; and I
was so frightened I wanted to sink into the floor. It seemed bold and
wicked for me to pray before all those old church members and make
believe I was better than I really was; but then again, wouldn't God
think I was wicked not to be willing to pray when a minister asked me
to?"

The candle light fell on Rebecca's flushed, sensitive face. Mrs. Burch
bent and kissed her good-night. "Don't be troubled," she said. "I'll
tell Mr. Burch, and I guess God will understand."

Rebecca waked before six the next morning, so full of household cares
that sleep was impossible. She went to the window and looked out; it