of Arthur.

After supper father conversed with her about a piece she was reading
in the Sunday Supplement, and seemed anxious to make her feel happy
and contented. So softened was he that, when Tess telephoned and
invited Missy to accompany the O'Neill family to the Methodist
church that evening, he lent permission to the unusual excursion.

The unusualness of it--the Merriams performed their Sabbath
devotions at 11 A.M.--served to give Missy a greater thrill than
usually attends going to church. Besides, since the Merriams were
Presbyterians, going to the Methodist church held a certain novelty-
-savouring of entertainment--and diversion from the same old
congregation, the same old church choir, and the same old preacher.
In literal truth, also, the new Methodist preacher was not old; he
was quite young. Missy had already heard reports of him. Some of the
Methodist girls declared that though ugly he was perfectly
fascinating; and grandpa and grandma Merriam, who were Methodists
(as had been her own father before he married mother, a
Presbyterian), granted that he was human as well as inspired.

As Missy entered the Methodist church that evening with the
O'Neills, it didn't occur to her memory that it was in this very
edifice she had once felt the flame divine. It was once when her
mother was away visiting and her less rigidly strict grandparents
had let her stay up evenings and attend revival meetings with them.
But all that had happened long ago--five years ago, when she was a
little thing of ten. One forgets much in five years. So she felt no
stir of memory and no presentiment of a coincidence to come.