corner, while Uncle Tucker fluttered the leaves of his hymn-book,
oblivious to the unseemly contention. The General and Tobe, who came
as near to living and having his being at the Briars as was possible
in consideration of the fact that he was supposed to have his bed and
board under his own paternal roof, were kneeling demurely beside a
small rocking-chair, but a battle royal was going on as to who would
possess the low seat on which to bow the head of reverence.

Little Miss Amanda from across the room, in terror of what might
befall her favorites at the hands of Miss Lavinia in a later hour of
reckoning, was making beseeching gestures of alarm, warning and
reproof that were entirely inadequate to the situation, which was fast
becoming acute, when the two tardy members arrived on the scene of
action. It took Rose Mary one second to grasp the situation, and,
motioning Everett to a chair beside the rocker, she seated herself
quickly in the very midst of the scuffle. In a half-second Tobe's head
was bowed in triumph on the arm of her chair, while the General's was
ducked with equal triumph upon her knee as Uncle Tucker's sweet old
voice rose in the first words of his prayer.

But after a few minutes of most becoming reverence Stonie's eyes
opened and revealed his surprise at Everett's presence as he knelt by
the chair across from Tobe and almost as close to Rose Mary's
protective presence as either of the two combatants. With a welcoming
smile the General slipped the little brown hand of fellowship into the
stranger's, thereby offering a material support to the latter's agony
of embarrassment, which only very slowly receded from face and
demeanor as the services proceeded.

Then as across the crackle of the fire came the confident word of