mistake. But remember after this, my child, to speak to God when you
pray. Remember that you are talking to Him. Then you will not make such
a blunder.--So many of us," he said reflectively, "ministers as well as
others, pray into the ears of the people, and forget we are talking to
God."

After that, the morning worship went better. The prayers of the children
changed,--became more personal, less flowery. They remembered from that
time on, that when they knelt they were at the feet of God, and speaking
direct to Him.

It was the hated duty of the twins to wash and dry the dishes,--taking
turns about with the washing. This time was always given up to
story-telling, for Lark had a strange and wonderful imagination, and
Carol listened to her tales with wonder and delight. Even Connie found
dish-doing hours irresistible, and could invariably be found, face in her
hands, both elbows on the table, gazing with passionate earnestness at
the young story-teller. Now, some of Lark's stories were such weird and
fearful things that they had seriously interfered with Connie's slumbers,
and Prudence had sternly prohibited them. But this evening, just as she
opened the kitchen door, she heard Lark say in thrilling tones:

"She crept down the stairs in the deep darkness, her hand sliding lightly
over the rail. Suddenly she stopped. Her hand was arrested in its
movement. Ice-cold fingers gripped hers tightly. Then with one piercing
shriek, she plunged forward, and fell to the bottom of the stairs with a
terrific crash, while a mocking laugh----"

The kitchen door slammed sharply behind Prudence as she stepped into the
kitchen, and Connie's piercing shriek would surely have rivaled that of