e watched them going out the
door to the car, Allison carrying two bags and telling Leslie to hurry
for all she was worth.

The two children turned then, and faced their aunt, with a swift,
comprehending vision of what this expedition of theirs meant to her.
It had not occurred to them before that they were deliberately
planning to spend most of the night, Saturday night, in mirth, and
stay over Sunday at a house-party where the Sabbath would be as a
thing unknown. Nobody had ever talked to them about these things
before. They had accepted it as a part of the world of society into
which they had been born, and they had never questioned it. They were
impatient now that their tried and true friend and comrade did not
comprehend that this occasion was different from most, and that it
must be an exception. They were willing to keep the Sabbath in
general, but in this particular they felt they must not be hampered.
The whole idea shone plainly in their faces, and the pain and
disappointment and chagrin shone clearly, emphatically in Julia
Cloud's eyes as she faced them and read the truth.

"Why, we don't know, just for sure, Cloudy," Allison tried to
temporize. "You see, they usually dance to all hours. It's Saturday
night, and no classes to-morrow, and this is an unusual occasion. It's
a week-end party, you know----"

"Then--you won't be back to-night! You are not going to church
to-morrow! You will spend the Sabbath at a party!"

She said these things as if she were telling them to herself so that
she could better take in the facts and not cry out with the
disappointment of it. There was no quality of fault-finding in her
tone, but the pain of her voice cut to the heart the two young
culprits. Therefore, according to the code of loving human nature,
they got angry.

"Why, of course!" chirped Leslie. "Didn't you expect that? That's what
week-end parties are!"

"Oh, cut this out, Leslie," cried Allison. "We've gotta beat it. We're
way late now! Cloudy, you can expect us when we get here. Don't bother
about anything. There's no need to. We'll telephone you later when we
expect to come back. Nightie, nightie, Cloudy. You go rest yourself.
You look tired."

He gave her a hurried, deprecatory kiss, and swept his sister out
into the night. Julia Cloud heard the purring of the engine, saw the
lights of the car glide away from the door down the street and out of
sight. They were gone! She felt as though a piece of herself