subtle things; for it observed and recorded the fluctuations of all
love affairs, and the fluctuations also in the religious experiences
of various persons not always in spiritual equilibrium; for the soul
was an object of scrutiny in Beulah, as well as mind, body, and
estate.

Letty Boynton used to feel that nothing was exclusively her own; that
she belonged to Beulah part and parcel; but Dick Larrabee was far more
restive under the village espionage than were she and David.

It was natural that David should want to leave Beulah and make his way
in the world, and his sister did not oppose it. Dick's circumstances
were different. He had inherited a small house and farm from his
mother, had enjoyed a college education, and had been offered a share
in a good business in a city twelve miles away. He left Beulah because
he hated it. He left because he could not endure his father's gentle
remonstrances or the bewilderment in his stepmother's eyes. She was a
newcomer in the household and her glance seemed to say: "Why on earth
do you behave so badly to your father when you're such a delightful
chap?" He left because Deacon Todd had prayed for him publicly at a
Christian Endeavor meeting; because Mrs. Popham had circulated a
wholly baseless scandal about him; and finally because in his young
misery the only being who could have comforted him by joining her
hapless fortunes to his had refused to do so. He didn't know why. He
had always counted on Letty when the time should come to speak the
word. He had shown his heart in everything but words; what more did a
girl want? Of course, if any one preferred a purely fantastic duty to
a man's love, and allowed a scapegrace brother to foist two red-faced,
squalling babies on her, there was nothing to be said. So, in this
frame of mind he had had one flaming, passionate, wrong-headed scene