d a start, incredible as it seemed. Yes, as
Carol had warned him, he forgot sometimes and tried to steer for
himself, and always crashed into the rocks. Then Carol, with angry eyes
and scornful voice, berated him for trying to get hold of God's job, and
cautioned him anew about "sticking in when it was not his affair any
more." It took time, a long time, and hard work, and many, many prayers
went up from Carol's bedside, and from the library at the head of the
stairs, but there came a time when Ben Peters let go for good and all,
and turned to Carol, standing beside the bed with sorry frightened eyes,
and said quietly:

"It's all right, Carol. I've let go. You're a mighty nice little girl.
I've let go for good this time. I'm just slipping along where He sends
me,--it's all right," he finished drowsily. And fell asleep.

CHAPTER XIII

THE CONNIE PROBLEM

Mr. Starr was getting ready to go to conference, and the girls hovered
about him with anxious eyes. This was their fifth conference since
coming to Mount Mark,--the time limit for Methodist ministers was five
years. The Starrs, therefore, would be transferred, and where? Small
wonder that the girls followed him around the house and spoke in soft
voices and looked with tender eyes at the old parsonage and the wide
lawn. They would be leaving it next week. Already the curtains were
down, and laundered, and packed. The trunks were filled, the books were
boxed. Yes, they were leaving, but whither were they bound?

"Get your ecclesiastical dander up, father," Carol urged, "don't let
them give us a church fight, or a twenty-thousand-dollar debt on a
thousand-dollar congregation."

"We don't care for a big salary or a stylish congregation," Lark added,
"but we don't want to go back to washpans and kerosene lamps again."

"If you have to choose between a bath tub, with a church quarrel, and a
wash basin with peace and harmony, we'll take the tub and settle the
scrap!"

The conference was held in Fairfield, and he informed the girls casually
that he would be home on the first train after the assignments were
made. He said it casually, for he did not wish them to know how
perturbed he was over the coming change. During the conference he tried
in many and devious ways to learn the will of the authorities regarding
his future, but he found no clue. And at home the girls were discussing
the matter very little, but thinking of nothing else. They were
determined to be