ew
thought is not necessary to them because they are full of the old, old
thought of training their babies, and keeping their homes, and
worshiping God. And I know the kind of people she meets down-town,--a
sort of high-class Bohemia where everybody flirts with everybody else
in the name of art. You wouldn't care for it."

Carol adroitly changed the subject, and David said no more.

The next day, quite accidentally, she met Mrs. Waldemar on the corner
and they had a soda together at the drug store. That night after
prayer-meeting David had to tarry for a deacons' meeting, and Carol and
Mrs. Waldemar sauntered off alone, arm in arm, and waited in Mrs.
Waldemar's hammock until David appeared.

And David did not see anything wonderful in the dark, deep eyes at
all,--they looked downright wicked to him. He took Carol away
hurriedly, and questioned her feverishly to find out if Mrs. Waldemar
had put any fresh nonsense into her pretty little head.

Day after day passed by and David began going around the block to avoid
Mrs. Waldemar's hammock. Her advanced thoughts, expressed to him, old
and settled and quite mature, were only amusing. But when she poured
the vials of her emancipation on little, innocent, trusting Carol,--it
was--well, David called it "pure down meanness." She was trying to
make his wife dissatisfied with her environment, with her life, with
her very husband. David's kindly heart swelled with unaccustomed fury.

Carol always assured him that she didn't believe the things Mrs.
Waldemar said,--it was interesting, that was all, and curious, and gave
her new things to think about. And minister's families must be broad
enough to make Christian allowance for all.

But, curiously enough, she grew genuinely fond of Mrs. Waldemar. And
Mrs. Waldemar, in gratitude for the girlish affection of the little
manse lady, left David alone. But one day she took Carol's dimpled
chin in her hand, and turned the face up that she might look directly
into the young blue eyes.

"Carol," she said, smiling, "you are a girlie, girlie wife, with
dimples and curls and all the baby tricks, but you're a pretty clever
little lady at that. You were not going to let your darling old David
get into trouble, were you? And quite right, my dear, quite right.
And between you and me, I like you far, far better than your husband."
She smiled the crooked smile and pinched Carol's crimson cheek. "The
only way to keep hubby out of