pretty good thing to tie up to, and I joined it, and found it was even
better than I expected.

"And I was thinking as I looked at the blackboard, and heard you
talking about the Great Companion, it was something like that man. If
all that's true that you've been reading and saying to-night, why,
you've got pretty good things back of you. With an Alumnus like
that"--nodding toward the blackboard--"and a line of talk like that
pledge, you sure ought to have a drag with the world. All you've got
to do is to make everybody believe that it is really so, and you'd
have this room full; for, believe me, that's the kind of dope
everybody wants, especially young people, whether they own it or
not."

Allison sat down abruptly, suddenly realizing that he had just made a
religious speech and had the interest of the meeting in his hands. His
speech seemed to set loose something in the heart of the young leader;
for he rose eagerly, alertly, his embarrassment departed, and began to
speak:

"I'm glad our friend has spoken that way. I guess it's all true what
he has just said. We've got the right dope; only we aren't using it. I
guess it looks mighty like to the world as if we didn't really believe
it all, the way we live; but believe me, I'm going to try to make
things different in my life this week, and see if I can't make at
least one person believe we have something here they want before next
Sunday."

He seemed about to give out another hymn, but the plain girl spoke up
and interrupted him. She was sitting forward in her chair, an almost
radiant look upon her face that quite changed it; and she spoke
rapidly, breathlessly, like a shy person who had a great message to
convey. She was looking straight at Allison as if she had forgotten
everyone else in the room.

"I've got to speak," she said earnestly. "It isn't right to keep
still when I've had such a wonderful experience, and you spoke as if
it might not all be true about Christ's being our companion every
day." In spite of himself Allison met her eyes as though they were
talking alone together, and waited for what she should tell.

"I've always been just a quiet Christian," she went on; "and I don't
often speak here except to recite a Bible verse. I'm sort of a
stranger myself. But you all ought to know what Christ has done for
me. When my people died and everything in my life was changed, and
troubles came very thick and fast, there wasn't anybody in the world I
coul