mes wholly. And Carol trips by, clean,
white and shining. They are always lounging against the store windows or
posts for support, bleary-eyed, dissipated, swaggery, staggery. Carol
nods and smiles as only Carol can, 'Good morning, boys! Isn't it a
lovely day? Are you feeling well?' And they grin at her and sway
ingratiatingly against one another, and say, 'Mornin', Carol.' Carol is
the only really decent person in town that has anything to do with
them."

"Carol means all right," declared Lark angrily.

"Yes, indeed," assented Fairy, "They call them the Slaughter-house
Quartette, auntie, because whenever they are sober enough to walk
without police assistance, they wander through the streets slaughtering
the peace and serenity of the quiet town with their rendition of all the
late, disgraceful sentimental ditties. They are in many ways striking
characters. I do not wholly misunderstand their attraction for romantic
Carol. They are something like the troubadours of old--only more so."

Carol's face was crimson. "I don't like them," she cried, "but I'm sorry
for them. I think maybe I can make them see the difference between us,
me so nice and respectable you know, and them so--animalish! It may
arouse their better natures--I suppose they have better natures. I want
to show them that the decent element, we Christians, are sorry for them
and want to make them better."

"Carol wants to be an influence," Fairy continued. "Of course, it is a
little embarrassing for the rest of us to have her on such friendly
terms with the most unmentionable characters in all Mount Mark. But
Carol is like so many reformers,--in the presence of one great truth she
has eyes for it only, ignoring a thousand other, greater truths."

"I am sorry for them," Carol repeated, more weakly, abashed by the
presence of the united family. Fairy's dissertations on this subject had
usually occurred in private.

Mr. Starr mentally resolved that he would talk this over with Carol when
the others were not present, for he knew from her face and her voice
that she was really sensitive on the subject. And he knew, too, that it
is difficult to explain to the very young that the finest of ideas are
not applicable to all cases by all people. But it happened that he was
spared the necessity of dealing with Carol privately, for matters
adjusted themselves without his assistance.

The second night following was an eventful one in the parsonage. One of
the bishop