g cards is a snare and a danger to
some people, and we see our duty clearly enough, because, how are we
ever to be sure that the very person who will be tempted is not within
the reach of our influence. What do you think, Flossy? Is the question
any clearer to you?"

"Why, yes," Flossy said, slowly, "that eighth verse settles it: 'For
meat commendeth us not to God, for neither if we eat are we the better,
neither if we eat not are we the worse.' It certainly can do no one any
harm if I let cards alone, and it is equally certain that it may do harm
if I play them. I should think my duty was clear."

"I wonder what Col. Baker will say to that duty?" queried Eurie,
thinking aloud rather than speaking to any one. "He is very much given
over to the amusement, if I am not mistaken."

Flossy raised her eyes and fixed them thoughtfully on Eurie's face,
while a flush spread all over her own pretty one. Was it possible that
she had helped to foster this taste in Col. Baker. How _many_ evenings
she had spent with him in this way. _Was_ he very much addicted to the
use of cards, she wondered; that is, outside of their own parlor? Eurie
seemed to know something about it.

"What makes you think so?" she asked, at last.

"Because I know so. He has a great deal to do with Nell's infatuation.
He was the very first one with whom Nell ever played for anything but
fun. Flossy Shipley, you surely know that he derives a good deal of his
income in that way?"

"I certainly did _not_ know it," Flossy said, with an increasing glow on
her cheeks. The glow was caused by wondering how far her own brother,
Charlie, had been led by this man.

"Girls," said Marion, concluding that a change of subject would be wise,
"wouldn't a Bible reading evening be nice?"

"What kind of an evening can that be?"

Marion laughed.

"Why, a reading together out of the Bible about a certain subject, or
subjects, that interested us, and about which we wanted to inform
ourselves? Like this, for instance. I presume there are dozens of texts
that bear on this very question. It would be nice to go over them
together and talk them up."

Flossy's eyes brightened.

"I would like that exceedingly," she said. "I need the help of you all.
I know so very little about the Bible. We have musical evenings, and
literary evenings; why not Bible evenings? Let's do it."

"Apropos of the subject in hand, before we take up a new one, what do
you think of this by way of illu