forbidden me to have anything to do with him. Would it be right, for
the sake of his soul, for me to disobey them--just a little bit?.
For the sake of his soul, you know. And he's really a nice boy at
heart. THEY don't understand just how it is. But I don't think it
would be VERY wrong if I talked to him just a little--do you?"

Gradually it came over her that she was chilly; she dragged a
comforter from her bed and resumed her kneeling posture by the
window and her communings with Jesus and her conscience. Then she
discovered she was going off to sleep, so she sprang to her feet and
jumped back into bed. A great change had come over her spirit; no
longer was there any restlessness, bitterness, or ugly rebellion;
no; nothing but peace ineffable. Smiling softly, she slept.

The next morning brought confusion to the Merriam household for
father was catching the 8:37 to Macon City on a business trip, Aunt
Nettie was going along with him to do some shopping, mother was in
bed with one of her headaches, and Missy had an inexplicably sore
throat. This last calamity was attributed, in a hurried conclave in
mother's darkened room, to Missy's being out in the snow-storm the
night before. Missy knew there was another contributory cause, but
she couldn't easily have explained her vigil at the window.

"I didn't want her to go to church in the first place," mother
lamented.

"Well, she won't go any more," said father darkly. Missy's heart
sank; she looked at him with mutely pleading eyes.

"And you needn't look at me like that," he added firmly. "It won't