"Oh, yes! Phoebe! She was here over an hour ago. Phoebe's a real
comfort to me." She was seated on the step above him, and it seemed
very pleasant to her to hear his voice, without encountering also the
challenge of his eyes.

"No, is she though?" The doctor suddenly faced round upon her. "Tell me
about it!"

Then, quite to her surprise, Dorcas found herself talking under the
spell of an interest so eager that it bore her on, entirely without her
own guidance.

"Well, you see there's a good many things I keep from father. He
never's been himself since mother died. She was the mainstay here. But
he thinks the church prospers just the same, and I never've told him
the attendance dropped off when they put up that 'Piscopal building
over to Sudleigh. You 'ain't lived here long enough to hear much about
that, but it's been a real trial to him. The summer boarders built it,
and some rich body keeps it up; and our folks think it's complete to go
over there and worship, and get up and down, and say their prayers out
loud."

The doctor laughed out.

"I've heard about it," said he. "You know what Brad Freeman told Uncle
Eli Pike, when they went in to see how the service was managed?
Somebody found the places in the prayer-book for them, and Brad was
quick-witted, and got on very well; but Eli kept dropping behind. Brad
nudged him. 'Read!' he said out loud. 'Read like the devil!' I've heard
that story on an average of twice a day since I came to Tiverton. I'm