"Why," said Jerry, turning red, "we DID sing _Polly Wolly Doodle_
at the last. Faith said, 'Let's have something cheerful to wind
up with.' But we didn't mean any harm, Father--truly we didn't."

"The concert was my idea, Father," said Faith, afraid that Mr.
Meredith might blame Jerry too much. "You know the Methodists
themselves had a sacred concert in their church three Sunday
nights ago. I thought it would be good fun to get one up in
imitation of it. Only they had prayers at theirs, and we left
that part out, because we heard that people thought it awful for
us to pray in a graveyard. YOU were sitting in here all the
time," she added, "and never said a word to us."

"I did not notice what you were doing. That is no excuse for me,
of course. I am more to blame than you--I realize that. But why
did you sing that foolish song at the end?"

"We didn't think," muttered Jerry, feeling that it was a very
lame excuse, seeing that he had lectured Faith so strongly in the
Good-Conduct Club sessions for her lack of thought. "We're
sorry, Father--truly, we are. Pitch into us hard--we deserve a
regular combing down."

But Mr. Meredith did no combing down or pitching into. He sat
down and gathered his small culprits close to him and talked a
little to them, tenderly and wisely. They were overcome with
remorse and shame, and felt that they could never be so silly and
thoughtless again.