building to the broken window, she crept cautiously
through the sash, just big enough to admit her body; and dropped to the
cement floor below. Considerably jarred--for the window was high in the
wall--she gathered herself up and felt her way up the dark stairs to the
main floor, relieved to find the hall door unlatched so she could step
out into daylight once more.

"Must have been someone here already," she exclaimed in surprise,
"'cause the booths are all up and trimmed. Maybe they don't want any
more evergreens. Well, I'll wait for Cherry and we will see then. P'raps
some of the ladies are coming back, for the furnace is still burning."

She made a tour of the church, admiring the pretty decorations, and
amusing herself by climbing over the seats like a squirrel, while she
waited for Cherry, who did not come. At length she grew tired, the rooms
were warm and dim, and before she knew it she was becoming drowsy.

"I'll just curl up in this old coat and rest a bit," she thought.
"Cherry will make noise enough so I will hear when she comes." But
before the belated sister reached the church Peace was fast asleep, and
her ears were deaf to the trills and whistles outside. Thinking the
younger girl had grown impatient at waiting and, regardless of her
promise, had gone on to the woods, Cherry stopped only long enough to
make sure that Peace was nowhere about the grounds before she hurried
away to join her mates in evergreen gathering.

How long Peace slept she did not know, but the sound of voices in heated
debate roused her from her nap, and she heard Mrs. Wardlaw's sharp tones
saying, "Well, I, for one, don't believe in getting her a suit for
Christmas. She dresses better now than most of us can afford. We never
had a minister's wife before who paraded the clothes she does."

"But she came here a bride, practically," remonstrated a less
aggressive, but just as decided a voice, which Peace recognized as Mrs.
Bainbridge's. "They haven't been married two years yet. Brides always
have more clothes than any other women. Nevertheless, they wear out, and
it doesn't stand to reason that hers will last any longer than ours do."

"She has worn at least three cloth suits since she came, besides all her
summer finery, and two or three separate skirts. I suppose that is where
all Brother Strong's salary goes. Stylish! Why, she is a veritable
fashion plate!"

"I don't see how you can say that, Mrs. Wardlaw. She certainly looks