Interrupted

sted girls included

gs had had unprecedented success, the Saturday before, disposing of pie-lifters. She was detailing some of her curious experiences. Also she had received an order for a certain kind of egg-beater, the like of which had never been seen in South Plains. She had duly reported the myste

lady at the piano being constantly appealed to for information, or to confirm some

nnings

h Plains, except to tolerate it during a few months of the summer because the old homestead is here, and they can't very well move it to the city. They live in that l

llage. Great broad fields stretching into the distance; handsome iron fence, with massive gate-posts, guarded by fierce-looking dogs in iron; a trellised arbor, the outline of a croquet-ground; a hint of wide-spreading, carefully kept lawns, showing betwee

of elegant leisure on the part of some one whose tastes are cultured to the highest degree. Shrouded in the snows of midwinter, with a shut-up look about the

ich had always heretofore been hers. It did not look elegant to her, except by contrast with the surrounding shabbiness. She had been used to much greater elegance. It simply said "home" to her sad heart; and only the Saturday befor

se that it really was the

here?" she questioned. "Where is the

heir royal fancy. They have no home but this, because they can not make up their minds where to settle down for one, so the

in here while their

he comes out home every night, and some of them stay in town with him a great deal. It is only ten miles away, you know. If they did not charge so dreadfully on the new railroad, we might get a chance to look at its splendors once in a whi

urse, while they are here. I should think

y haven't been inside the church six ti

to ch

iage rolls by our house about half-past eight,

to church each Sabbath, when there is one right at their

he girl said, laughing over M

Nettie added h

just about seven, or maybe almost eight, miles from here. It was built by wealthy people who live out

d wearying day of the Sabbath, I should think, when there is no

ey said would die unless they kept it in the country. So, they sold their town house, and came out here to stay until they decided what to do, and then the railroad was built, and Mr. Ansted found it easy enough to get back and forth to

o church eve

the trees, and when it is too rainy they lounge in their handsome house, I suppose. At any rate, they don't appear

to be here at school wh

ur school; but directly they heard she was coming, the Ansted girls came in, and are to board here until the family come

ry Burt

d the doctors have decided that she needs to come home and get braced up, and the house is being aired for their coming. Ella Ansted told me this morning. She says s

olute tone, "let us get the Ansted girls into o

little church; never came to the prayer meetings, nor to the socials, nor in any way indicated that they belonged to the same flesh and blood as the worshipers there, and South Plains held its head too high and thought to

, and no pastor to interest himself in all they do! I have wondered why those girls seemed so out in the cold. I begin to understand it. You think you have been cordial; but you have just edged out a little, made a tiny opening in your circle, and said in effect: 'Oh,

ide; they had chosen to do so. They would not attend the church, though the trustees had in

ct changed

k you, are Fannie and E

t; that one day when they were talking about such things, Ella asked the strangest ques

asant way, and you would like to have them join it, and work for his cause? Ruth, my dear, do

true. I never thought about them twice in my life in

han that?" She looked around upon the silenced group, an

tands aloof, and makes no effort to help others, you or the Ansted girls, if you know Christ and

iss Benedict was glad. She wanted no answer just then; she had pl

group which moved out of the music-room, leaving Nettie to tak

t's silence, then

no difference between us and oth

e don't any of us go to prayer meeting. They say she does. Father said she sat in one corner

Mary

d, then, just what it meant. We girls are certainly not any more 'separate' since we joined the church than we were before, so far as I know; and ye

ole of it; but I wish she hadn't started out on this idea about the Ansteds. T

urned aside, held persistently t

t, and are in no sense different from them? We are all the church-members there are among the young people, you know. When I told Miss Benedict that the other day, she looked aston

le seed was taking root, though not i