, than she expected the sun to burst into the room despite
the closing of blinds and dropping of curtain, merely because she prayed
that it might shine.

Clearly if she wanted the sun, it was her part to open blinds and draw
back curtains; clearly if she wanted mental light, it was her part to
use the means that God had placed at her disposal. Thus much she
realized. But not being a self-reliant girl, it resulted in her saying
to Eurie Mitchell when she slipped in the next evening to spend an hour:

"I wish we girls could get together somewhere this evening; I have
something to talk over that puzzles me a great deal."

You are to understand that the expression, "we girls," meant the four
who had lived Chautauqua together; from henceforth and forever "we
girls" who went through the varied experiences of life together that
were crowded into those two weeks, would be separated from all other
girls, and their intercourse would necessarily be different from any
other friendships, colored always with that which they had lived
together under the trees.

"Well," said Eurie, quick, as usual, to carry out what another only
suggested, "I'm sure that is easily managed. We can call for Ruth, and
go around to Marion's den; she is always in, and she never has any
company."

"But Ruth nearly always has," objected Flossy, who had an instant
vision of herself among the fashionable callers in the Erskine parlor,
unable to get away without absolute rudeness.

"I'll risk Ruth if she happens to want to come with us," Eurie said,
nodding her head sagely. "She will dispose of her callers in some way;
strangle them, or what is easier and safer, simply ignore their
existence and beg to be excused. Ruth is equal to any amount of
well-bred rudeness; all that is necessary is the desire to perform a
certain action, and she will do it."

This prophecy of Eurie's proved to be the case. Nellis Mitchell was
called into service to see the girls safely over to the Erskine mansion,
where they found two gentlemen calling on Ruth and her father. No sooner
did she hear of their desire to be together, than, feeling instant
sympathy with it, she said, "I'll go in five minutes." Then they heard
her quiet voice in the parlor:

"Father, will you and our friends excuse me for the remainder of the
evening, and will you enjoy my part of the call and yours too? I have
just had a summons elsewhere that demands attention."

"Isn't that perfect in its propriet