[Illustration: SISTER FILKINS.]

Sez I, "I would have it a-pintin' down towards the depths of darkness
that wuz in that man's heart that roze it up, and the infamy of the deed
that kep him in the meetin' house and turned his victim out of it."

"I d'no as she wuz his victim," sez Josiah.

Sez I, "Every one knows that in the first place Simeon Lathers wuz the
man that led her astray."

"It wuzn't proved," sez Josiah, a-turnin' the almanac over and lookin'
at the advertisement on the back side on't.

"And why wuzn't it proved?" sez I, "because he held a big piece of gold
against the mouths of the witnesses."

"I didn't see any in front of my mouth," sez Josiah, lookin' 'shamed but
some composed.

"And you know what the story wuz," sez he, "accordin' to that, he did it
all to try her faith."

I wouldn't encourage Josiah by even smilin' at his words, though I knew
well what the story wuz he referred to.

It wuz at a Conference meetin', when Simeon Lathers wuz jest a-beginnin'
to take notice of how pretty Irene Filkins wuz.