It seemed an excellent idea, and was followed up so quickly that
scarcely three minutes ensued before the guileless one was
holding the five scraps in her hot little palm, laboriously
changing their places again and again until they looked exactly
alike and all rather soiled and wilted.

"Come, girls, draw!" commanded the president. "Thirza, you
mustn't chew gum at a missionary meeting, it isn't polite nor
holy. Take it out and stick it somewhere till the exercises are
over."

The five Daughters of Zion approached the spot so charged with
fate, and extended their trembling hands one by one. Then after a
moment's silent clutch of their papers they drew nearer to one
another and compared them.

Emma Jane Perkins had drawn the short one, becoming thus the
destined instrument for Jacob Moody's conversion to a more seemly
manner of life!

She looked about her despairingly, as if to seek some painless
and respectable method of self-destruction.

"Do let's draw over again," she pleaded. "I'm the worst of all of
us. I'm sure to make a mess of it till I kind o' get trained in."

Rebecca's heart sank at this frank confession, which only
corroborated her own fears.