ves are a good deal harder to bear than others. It would
be nonsense for some people to talk about crosses. There are Ruth and
Flossy; what do they know about annoyances or self-denials? Such homes
as theirs and such occupations as theirs have very little in common with
hard, uncongenial work such as mine. Eurie Mitchell has less easy times;
but then it is home, and father, and mother, and family friends. She
isn't all alone. None of them can sympathize with me. I don't see how
Flossy Shipley is ever to grow, if 'crosses are a fruitful condition of
the Christian life.' I'm sure she can do as she pleases, and when she
pleases."

Thus much Marion knew about other lives than hers. The actual truth was
that Flossy's shadows began on Sabbath evening, while Marion was yet on
the heights.

It was just as they stepped from the aisle of the church into the wide
hall that Col. Baker joined her. This was not a new experience. He was
very apt to join her. No other gentleman had been a more frequent or
more enjoyable guest at her father's house. Indeed, he was so familiar
that he was as likely to come on the Sabbath as on any other day, and
was often in the habit of calling to accompany Flossy to any evening
service where there was to be a little grander style of music than
usual, or a special floral display.

In fact he had called this very evening on such an errand, but it was
after Flossy had gone to her own church. So her first meeting with him
since Chautauqua experiences was in that hall belonging to the First
Church.

"Good-evening," he said, joining her without the formality of a
question as to whether it would be agreeable; his friendship was on too
assured a footing for the need of that formality. "You are more than
usually devoted to the First Church, are you not? I saw you in the
family pew this morning. I felt certain of being in time to take you to
the South Side to-night. St. Stephen's Church has a grand choral service
this evening. I was in at one of the rehearsals, and it promised to be
an unusually fine thing. I am disappointed that you did not hear it."

Here began Flossy's unhappiness. Neither Marion nor Ruth could have
appreciated it. To either of those it would have been an actual
satisfaction to have said to Col. Baker, in a calm and superior tone of
voice:

"Thanks for your kindness, but I have decided to attend my own church
service regularly after this, and would therefore not have been able to
acco